Karma
by LvdyRedfox
Summary: Angels, goblins, and reapers, oh my! Don't let the caption fool you, this is a pretty dramatic story. Set in a supernatural world, Laxus and Lucy are on a quest to stop Salamander from destroying the world. Gajeel and Levy are just two beings with similar goals along for the ride. What do they have to lose? (Summary is subject to change)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, my pretties! I know, I know. I still have the other story to finish, and I will... in due time! But for now, I have a story even better. This is an AU LaLu and Gajevy fanfic, with my own personal twist on things. Most of the characters are OOC, but that's what makes it more fun, right? This story will be a bit longer, and a lot more detailed than my last, as I saw the error in my writing which inspired me to do better. (Another reason why I haven't finished my last story. Every time I look at it, I just wanna gag.) This story has a dark, supernatural theme to it, with sone lemons tossed in there too. Can't have a story without lemons, am I right? **

**I will be making a conscious effort to reply to each and every review at the start of each new chapter. I thrive on my readers' opinions as constructive criticism will always improve you! A few have requested that I make my chapters longer and I obliged. This story will have at lease 4k-5k words per chapter, with a WHOLE LOT of dialogue. **

**I hope you guys like my take on the Fairy Tail characters and that I've created a story to your liking! _I am posting the first five chapters just to test the waters and see how you guys like it. PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT AND REVIEW! _**

**Chapter One**

He was never one to partake in the joys of the holidays, nor was he one to be a part of family gatherings, as they were always awkward and tiring. As the outcast, his family would always look down on him because of the trouble he used to get into as a teenager. It caused them to view him in a bad light, but he was still human and still their kin, and they didn't seem to care. He was the only boy and second of three, and knew his mother boldly preferred her second daughter— his younger sister, as her favorite, and he hated that she gave her special treatment. He hated himself for loving them unconditionally knowing they spoke nothing but negative things about him, but that was one of his weaknesses as well as one of his strengths. All reasons why he never cared to join in when they all came over for the holidays.

The evening sun shone through the parting of cheap black curtains that hung next to the bed he was lying on, his room, the small room graciously giving a generous portion of itself to the full-sized mattress and box spring he had sitting snug in a corner. He glanced over at his almost bare nightstand and freed his arm from his thick burgundy comforter, reaching for the dragon-crested charm his father gave him when he was young. He listened to the chatter and laughter coming from the other side of his closed door as he scanned every detail of the charm for what may well have been the millionth time, always fascinated that the details never wore, with disregard to how much it'd been handled.

This time of year was especially rough on him, as this was the time of year when his father disappeared years ago. His last memories of his father always racked his brain when snow fell because he seemed to be the only one who was affected by the disappearance. Granted, the relationship between his mother and father was always rough, but his father always did his best to provide for their family. His mother was a very selfish woman and she always wanted more than he could give, and she never seemed to be satisfied with anything. They argued and fought, often about trivial things. There were even times where the fights got extreme enough for him to leave in a huff and not return for days at a time.

His eyelids were getting heavy with the memories of his father, who he just knew was alive. Even though he'd disappeared without a trace, he'd kept the words, _'I'll be back soon, son,' c_lose to him and embedded into his brain, and fully believed that he would, in fact, return to his family. As gravity finally won, his eyelids closed, only for the sound of his sister calling for him through his closed door bringing him back to consciousness.

"Gajeel! What are you doing in there? Come out and join us!"

His ruby eyes cracked open, annoyance already brewing within the depths of his darkened mind, as he knew she was just being nice and trying to play the role of the family mediator. He rolled over, the cozy comforter now splayed across his body and over his head, closing his eyes before they got the chance to adjust to the new darkness.

"Go away, I ain't comin' out," he called, his deep voice slightly muffled by his pillow.

"Your family wants to see you, Jeel."

_Marianna_, the only person in the family he really cared for, his older sister and best friend. She'd always been a big influence in his life, from helping take care of him when he was younger, to being someone to confide in when he was older. She was strong and independent and was never afraid to call him out on his bad behavior, all the while never once turning her back on him and treating him with contempt. She was the only one who returned his unconditional love.

Now fully annoyed, he threw the comforter off his body, swinging his legs over the side of his mattress and stuffing charm in his pocket, goosebumps gracefully making an appearance on his upper arms from the sudden gust of cold air. _'Damn it,'_ he muttered under his breath as he stood from the bed and made two large strides to the slab of wood his sister was behind.

"Don't fuckin' spew that bullshit at me, Anna," he said, swinging the door open then resting his right arm on the upper frame of the door, almost having to duck down slightly to see her. His eyes met her large ones, similar in color, but instead of cold and dark, hers were light and happy, while serious and comforting at the same time.

"Just humor me, please?" Marianna spoke in her soft voice. "I feel like it'd do you some good to spend time with your family. You're always shutting yourself out and holing yourself up in your room," her doe-like eyes scanned what little of his room she could see through the space between him and his door ajar. "Which you so desperately need to clean."

"They don't wanna see me and I don't wanna see them, now go away. I was sleepin'." His words came out harsh while his left hand gripped the doorknob, preparing to shut the door. He turned away, his long, bordering unruly, dark hair hanging loose down his back and swaying with his motions.

"Gajeel, is that you?"

That voice. That same voice that'd cursed and yelled at his father. He stopped in his tracks; the door halfway shut. He figured he could at least make an appearance, though he was wary. Most family gatherings ended with the entire family poking and prodding at him with no regard to his feelings. Unfortunately, his hidden love for 'togetherness' led him astray once again, and he'd hoped that maybe this time, just _maybe_ they could all get together without feeling the need to attack him.

"Come on out, it's been a while since your aunt has seen you!"

"Tch." He flung the door back open and breezed past his sister and down the narrow hallway that connected the three bedrooms in the small house, making his way to the living room in almost the same number of strides he took in his room. He would have much rather been sitting in his room, in solitude, drifting off to a state of consciousness where he was at peace and didn't have to face the painful reality of his life. He rounded the corner to the family room, he was faced with his mom, his aunt, and his younger sister, two out of the three looking at him with utter disdain.

"Well? I'm here," he stated, shoving his hands in his pockets and scanning the room. None of them seemed happy to see him, and it was as if they only called him out to poke and prod at him mentally.

"Don't be so rude, Gajeel," his aunt said, aiming her nose down at him. "We haven't seen you in a while, and you sound like it's killing you to come out and talk to us."

"I know you guys don't really want me here, so why would I grace ya with my shitty presence?"

His question gathered a collection of gasps and fake faces of awe.

"Now why would you say a thing like that, Jeel?" Anna asked, coming up from behind him and linking an arm through his.

"I don't know why yer reactin' like ya actually care, I'm not the _favorite_," he replied, glancing across the room at his blue-haired sister, who all but smirked at his response.

Juvia, his younger sister and his mother's 'light on a cloudy day', was always indifferent toward him, not really showing an interest in one way or another in his life. She'd always been on their mother's side and hated their father just as much as their mom did. She was the spitting image of their mother, with her azure hair that fell just past her shoulders and navy-blue eyes, while Gajeel and Marianna looked like their father. Both had his signature red eyes and thick dark hair that went down their backs, Gajeel's hair being a bit longer and more unkempt.

"It's a nice life," Juvia said, her head cocked slightly to the side. "Being the favorite."

"Well, this conversation would be much more pleasant if you stopped acting so uppity," his mom said curtly as she fanned herself with a flimsy piece of paper she'd grabbed from the kitchen counter.

"Wow, comin' from my own damn mother," Gajeel smirked, his small red eyes rolling upward as he turned around to head back to his room. "This is exactly why I didn't wanna come out. I'd say it was nice seeing ya, but we all know that would be a lie."

"Just like his father."

Meryn, his aunt and his mother's fraternal twin sister. She was just another thorn in his side each and every time those two paired up. It was almost insufferable, and now, of course, she had to fix her lips to be rude.

"What did you say?" His voice turned grim as he turned around, a scowl plastered on his face. Anytime his father was mentioned, harsh words and insults always followed. He braced himself mentally, ready for word to word combat with those who supposedly were his family.

"What's yer big ass deal with me?" He asked, getting angrier with each word that left his mouth.

"You're just like him. Attitude and all. It's bad enough you look exactly like him, now you have to act like him too?" His mom was clearly annoyed with his presence and she let it be known with each interaction they had.

"Ya know what? My father was a better provider and a better fucking human being than you people ever were!" His words were filled with anger and emotion as he walked to stand in front of his mother.

"Gajeel! Stop it! Please!" Anna pleaded with her younger brother, yanking on his arm to get him to pull back and take a breath, only for it to be in vain as he leaned down, his face about a foot away from his mother's.

"You guys hate me! So be it! I don't give a rat's ass what ya think about me, but don't you _dare_ speak ill about him! He was nothing but good ta me unlike you fuckers," he fumed as he tightly gripped the charm in his pocket in a white-knuckled fist.

"Tell that to the family he abandoned all those years ago!" His mother retorted. "Would a good person just leave his kin so easily?"

"He would if he was sick and tired of yer crap! Hell, I'd leave too!" Gajeel finished his outburst throwing his hands in the air, almost yanking Anna's arm off.

His mother, clearly amused by his sudden fit, glanced at the door. "No one is stopping you."

"Mom! Stop it! You know how he is! He'll really leave!"

Anna hated her role sometimes. She felt as though she was the glue that held her and Gajeel to their family, as their mother was indifferent toward her too. She didn't quite treat her with the same contempt she treated Gajeel with, but it was still evident that she wasn't liked either.

"Good riddance," Meryn muttered to herself.

"I'm goin' ta get some fresh air." He turned on his heels and stormed through the front door, grabbing his thin grey hoodie on his way out.

He stood at the bottom of the porch and as he heard his beloved sister calling for him to return, he stopped to pet Lily, a small black cat he found in an alley one day a few years ago. The cat was near death from being malnourished, and it looked like it'd been forgotten. He'd spent months caring for it and gaining its trust and eventually, the cat was healthy again, though, there was nothing he could do about the scar on his left eye. Instead, he grew to like the scar, as it gave him character. That cat, Lily, may as well have been his best friend, aside from his sister. The cat followed him wherever he went, but this time, Gajeel just wanted to be alone.

"Sorry, Lil. Not this time. I'll be right back, I promise," he said to the black cat, walking away and not even bothering to look back at Lily's sad, red eyes.

He walked through his small neighborhood, the streets lined with rickety houses and shacks that were built in a rush after the Fallout that occurred almost ten years ago. The cobblestone streets were lined with puddles of muddy water and snow, and the evening skies were a deep burnt-orange, with a reddish-pink ombre. He continued walking as the world around him had gotten darker in response to the sun's disappearance, unknowingly wandering into another run down town. It wasn't until he reached the outskirts of the second town he'd trekked through that he realized he'd been gone for hours. _'Good riddance, indeed. Not like they miss me.'_

As small snowflakes speckled the now deep navy skies, he spotted a metal bench he decided to stop and rest at, realizing it was once a bus stop maybe eight or so years ago before all the madness happened. He pulled the charm out of his pocket and held it up by the thin iron chain it was latched onto, admiring it, as it reminded him of his dad. The charm itself was also made of iron and intricately carved into a dragon, with eyes made of ruby and scales lined with steel. As much as he'd handled the iron dragon, it always looked brand new and untouched. None of the details faded away even after sometimes being exposed to harsh weather conditions, and that led him to suspect it had some magical properties to it.

Figuring he should head back, he put the charm around his neck and stood from the bench, stretching from discomfort when something… or someone quickly headed his direction caught his attention. He barely had time to notice the fact that they were fully covered from head to toe in a brown cloak, the only thing visible being their hands. Nothing seemed too weird about the situation, so he turned around to head back home when he heard the soft sound of snow crunching under one's foot stop behind him.

"The talisman. Give it to me."

A woman's voice sounded; a soothing tone that echoed in his ears nicely. He found himself unable to ignore the beautiful voice and keep walking like he typically would when it came to strangers approaching him. He turned, allowing himself to see the face attached to that voice, only to see that her face was now covered by the shadow of the hood she had pulled over her head, the only thing now visible being her chin. She was a small thing, almost dainty under her cloak, but he couldn't make much detail out from what was presented.

"What?" He asked, both annoyed and confused at the fact that he apparently had no free will.

"The talisman. Hanging around your neck." She extended her hand upward, revealing a small and feminine wrist that had red markings that wrapped completely around it.

As badly as he wanted to walk away, he just couldn't get his body to work properly. It was an understatement to say he was a bit intrigued by this woman and the markings on her wrists. Her voice was light and almost angelic, and even though she only spoke a few words, they were enough to pierce through a layer of the wall he had up and found himself wanting to hear her speak more. Why she wanted his father's charm, though, he had no idea.

"Fat chance," Gajeel scoffed. "This is the only thing in this fucked up world that's important ta me. I ain't givin' it t'ya."

"I'll just take it then," the woman said before giving him a roundhouse kick to the face, sending him to the ground.

"Oi! The fuck's yer problem?" He asked, propping his upper body up with an elbow as he rubbed his chin. "If you weren't a lady, I'd— "

It was when he finally composed himself and looked up, that he noticed that the woman had disappeared with his charm. _'Goddammit!' _He stood and brushed the snow off his clothing— or at least the snow that hadn't melted and seeped through his hoodie, his eyes scanning the immediate area around him.

"I'm never gonna find her! That fucking bitch," he exclaimed, punching a dent into a nearby metal door, not caring if he disturbed the occupants on the other side.

He decided to turn back and head home after determining the girl was nowhere to be found, dark thoughts brewing in his mind from the recent turn of events. He suspected the charm was no ordinary charm, and she'd unknowingly confirmed it, but he didn't think it was worth being stolen. His mother did try to take it from him on multiple occasions when she found out it was given to him by his father, so he started keeping it on his person at all times. He didn't think anything strange about it other than the fact that she was a bitter woman, but maybe she knew something about the charm that he didn't.

His thoughts stayed with him the entire walk home, the sky now an ash-grey from the combination of soot and snow that went unnoticed due to his distracted mind state. He rounded the narrow path that took him back to the bridge that led him home to see an unusual bright-orange glow emanating from his small, dingy town.

"No…"

He picked up his pace with flashbacks to the Fallout, eventually sprinting toward his neighborhood in hopes that his family was fine and that his home hadn't been destroyed. He reached the town's only entrance to find everything in flames, and what looked like armed giants covered from head to toe in metal suits.

"Not again…"

He pushed through the people fleeing their homes in the opposite direction, immediately regretting his last interaction with his family. He begged internally that Anna was alright, praying he'd be able to go home and live his boring life as he normally would. After what seemed like forever of shoving through the other townsfolk, he broke free of the crowd and finally got to his house, the only house that looked like someone had taken extra precautions to completely destroy his house and kill his family.

"Anna…" Gajeel fell to his knees in front of the body of his sister, who looked like her throat had been slit, hugging her close to his body. His teary red eyes scanned the area around them, and he found Lily, who was also dead. He screwed his eyes shut to stop the tears, his teeth clenched to keep him from going berserk, holding Anna tighter and closer to his body as if he could give her his own life.

"Hey, boy!" A grating and somewhat deep voice broke his trance and he opened his eyes and looked up, the worst possible view he could have ever imagined staring him in the face. A being that was much too large to be a regular human emerged from the remains of his demolished home with one of his hands full of blue hair. His eyes widened, his mother's head was attached to that bloodied blue hair and he was sure his aunt and younger sister were already dead. He stood slowly, feeling a white-hot rage he'd never felt before.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Gajeel barreled toward it, only to be grabbed by his collar and yanked up so that he was eye level with the being.

"The talisman, boy. Where is it? I don't sense it on you."

"I don't have a goddamn thing!" Gajeel spat, throwing punches in vain.

Throwing him forcefully to the ground next to Anna's body, the creature stood over him, a sword held to his neck. "You foolish human! You're nothing but living pieces of pathetic meat, not even worthy of being vessels. Now, for your insolence and stupidity, you must suffer."

Gajeel didn't know what was going on, but he at least knew that he was the cause of his family's death and the cause of the town being destroyed. _'I shouldn't have left… I shouldn't have been gone for so long… I shouldn't have let it get stolen… now I truly have nothing…'_

"What more can you take from me?" Gajeel asked with a shaky voice as he held his sister's body in his arms.

The creature dropped his mother's head in a pile of dead bodies he was sure the rest of his family was in and knelt so that he was in Gajeel's face, and with the most twisted grin it could muster under its helmet, it uttered, "I can take your life."

* * *

"Fuck…"

Gajeel Redfox is a man in his late twenties, with a tall and bulky build and long black hair paired with a quick temper and a bad smoking habit— or at least he _was_ until he and his family were brutally murdered by the Fallen. Now, he's a goblin with a quick temper and a score to settle with his assailants and the wench who stole his father's charm, which had to be at least a year ago. He vowed to himself that he'd locate it, even if it took the rest of eternity. He figured she still had it, but he didn't even know who she was, or anything about her. The only things inscribed into his brain were her voice and the markings on her wrist.

He drug his hands down his face and threw the fleece blanket that covered his body to the side, rolling out of his large bed, happy to finally be rid of the recurring nightmare of his death that kept him awake several times throughout the week. The images had been becoming more real and vivid each time it occurred. He always woke up when he heard the last words spoken to him… those very words that put him where he was now.

He stood and stretched, the white t-shirt he had on rising halfway up his midriff. Letting out a deep yawn, he walked to stand in front of the mirror, seeing the same face he's always seen. The same body, the same build. There were a few differences, none that really bothered him, though. As a human, he was a little over six feet tall, now he was at least a foot taller. He now also had iron studs on his face, neck, and arms that he actually liked, as he thought it brought out his brash personality and rugged looks. He'd been dead for almost a year now, and he still had yet to wrap his head around the fact. _'Not like there's anyone to miss me. They're all dead too.'_

He spent the next few minutes sifting through his clothes for his usual go-to outfit as he figured out what his plan was for the day. On his days off, he'd spend his free time either at the bar with his best friend or wandering around in the human world searching for the person who stole his most prized possession; the woman with the beautiful voice.

***BUZZ BUZZ***

Gajeel perked up hearing his phone go off. It was old and lost signal a lot so he only used it for work. It only rang when he had another job, and he strangely gained solace from his work. After tying his hair back with a red and white bandanna, he picked up his phone and read the text,

_Lily – 'Come to the bar. I found you another job.'_

He smirked, reaching for the black, fingerless knuckle gloves on the nightstand next to his bed along with the keys to his bike and briskly walked through the front door, grabbing his sleeveless black jacket along the way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It was gloomy as always in the spirit world, the skies were always grey and thick fog was its pair. Gajeel rode his bike down the same street he'd always taken to Lily's bar, which was almost always empty; he only got customers that were traveling long distances within the spirit world. Because of the quality of the alcohol, it was a decent bar, and a good source of extra income when people _did_ stop by. The drinks were three hundred and fifty proof, not consumable by humans. Gajeel pulled into his usual spot and parked his bike, inspecting it for any new dirt or scratches.

Lily heard the all-too-familiar sound of his friend's bike pulling in and opened the window that faced the lot. "You only drove it for five minutes. What could possibly have happened between your house and here?"

"Oi!" Gajeel yelled, still checking his bike. "I don't judge _you_ when ya clean the same cup over an' over again, man."

"Do _you_ want to drink out of a dirty glass?"

"Eh," Gajeel said, finishing his checkup and walking toward the door. "The alcohol will sterilize it, besides, I want her ta look nice an' pretty when I finally customize her."

"And that will be when…" Lily started, getting his friend's favorite glass ready.

"When I get my shit back from that tramp," Gajeel said, plopping down on his designated chair. He'd been saving about ninety percent of the payout from each job he's done toward modifications for his bike. He wanted to get the talisman back so he could have it enlarged and placed on the front of his bike with the eyes of the dragon as headlights, then add matching red under lighting to give it a nice glow.

"When are you going to stop troubling yourself over that girl?" Lily asked, pouring his dark-haired friend a drink and setting it down in front of him.

"Not until I get it back," Gajeel replied, downing the harsh beverage. "I know she had somethin' ta do with that bullshit."

"What are you going to say when you find her?"

"Not much ta say," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I'm just gonna take back what's mine. Then, afterwards I'm gonna deal with the bastard that killed my family."

"Still going on about that, I see," Lily said, reaching into a cubby underneath the counter and pulling out a file.

"Yeah, Lil, well, they killed you too. Don'tcha feel like gettin' some revenge?"

"Eh, I have no thoughts on it either way."

Panther Lily, a born-again humanoid reaper and Gajeel's best friend in the human world and now in the spirit world. He was tall, around the same height as his goblin friend, and pretty buff for a reaper. Usually, they were thin and frail, using a black robe to cover themselves, but Lily wasn't your typical reaper. He never wore his robe, as he preferred his over-sized tan scarf to be draped around his neck and shoulders, and he always had his signature metal cuffs around his wrists.

"There's no need for revenge. Fate has its own ways of solving problems, and we're here to help with that." He slid the file over to his emotionless friend. "Take a look at this."

"The job?" Gajeel shoved his hand in his pocket, pulling out a cigarette that'd been half-smoked. Lighting it, he took the file and opened it to the first page.

"This one should be easy for you. You spend a lot of time in that town and this guy is supposed to be there."

Gajeel flipped through the paperwork, his smoke billowing up from the pages. He was familiar with the neighborhood only because that was the town the woman who stole his charm was in and he'd been prowling the area for months looking for her. _'Maybe I'll finally run into her,'_ he thought to himself hopefully.

"Dante Greenwood. A carpenter who was cheating on his wife, huh?" He said, leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet back on the counter.

"I suppose she wanted him dead. She paid a hefty amount to call this in, so get this done quickly and quietly. I don't want to wait too long to pick him up," Lily explained, swatting at Gajeel's feet. "Do you really have to smoke in here?"

"Oh, c'mon! Nobody's in here," the goblin replied, ignoring Lily's silent request for him to remove his feet from the counter and blowing smoke in his face.

"Watch it, Gajeel. I'll reap you too."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, removing his feet and standing from his chair. "Mind if I get another fer the road?" He tapped his glass.

"How long do you think you're going to be?" Lily asked, pouring him another shot.

"Well, I don't need ta follow this guy fer too long. I guess I've seen his face around an' this info should be enough fer me ta take him out," Gajeel said, standing in the doorway.

"Ah." Lily scanned his friend's attire, taking in his carefree look. "Do you really need those brass knuckles?"

"Yep. I'm gonna use 'em for the job." The goblin grinned as he left the bar and got on his bike, revving the engine before he pulled off.

"I should never have given those to you," Lily said to himself as he went to clean Gajeel's glass. He just knew he was going to leave a mess for him to clean up, but what could he do? The knuckles were a gift to him when he started his job as a contractor, and they were custom made, with a thin retractable blade that came out of each knuckle. _'They were pretty nice if I do say so myself.'_

* * *

Gajeel worked almost all the time, and he was one of the best out there. That's the very reason he was given a modified Harley; made to travel through the spirit world and into the human world. A lot of his jobs were on Earth, and those were the ones that were pretty easy. There were a few tricky ones in the beginning when he was still getting the hang of things, but now that he had experience, it wasn't difficult.

He rode down the foggy street, the details of his next job swirling through his mind. _'Dante Greenwood… located on the corner of Olde Oak and Pine…' _Turning down an old abandoned path, abandoned both in the spirit world and in the human world it connected to, he revved his engine and took off as the dirt and gravel kicked up by his tires created a thick cloud that covered him completely, to fade away and reveal nothing but the path that had once again been abandoned.

From a thick fog that cascaded down the path, he emerged, the sky in the human world was now darkened; the moonlight giving the fog somewhat of a blue tint, and the headlight on his bike piercing through the mist. Familiar with the territory he was in, he parked his bike on the side of the road and lit a cigarette, looking for a good lookout spot. _'Let's see… where can I find this bastard?'_ He picked a nearby hill that was maybe half a mile away from the target, and perched atop it, looking through a pair of binoculars until he found him. _'Heh, gotcha.'_

He watched Dante for at least a half-hour, making sure he was alone and not going anywhere anytime soon. He deduced that the target was busy working, and would be stationary for the time being, given how much of his work he'd completed. With it being nighttime, he was the only one working in his shop, which made Gajeel's job a lot easier. Figuring it was time to get it over with, he took a long drag and stood from his position and walked the rest of the way to his target.

Honestly, all he really wanted to do was find his damn charm; he'd felt incomplete ever since it was stolen. Unfortunately, the only thoughts that followed his missing charm were those of his and his family's death, surely caused by the stupid thing. Amidst his thoughts, he quickly got angry. _'Why the fuck did my dad give me that stupid thing if it was only gonna get me killed?' _Nevertheless, it was the only thing he had to remind himself of his father and he still wanted it back.

Once he became a goblin, he sought the answer to who exactly killed his family and found out it was a few members of the Fallen that'd terrorized his town. Out of sheer revenge and anger, he trained almost immediately so he could carry out his plan to take down the asshole that killed him. He hadn't encountered any of the Fallen since his death, as they were pretty good at keeping hidden in plain sight. They had the ability to mask their powers so they weren't noticeable and they often took on the form of humans and gang leaders.

Rumor had it that the Fallen were the ones responsible for the Fallout that occurred about ten years ago on Earth, but nobody had any proof. The spirit world kept it hushed and few people and spirits knew about it, but Gajeel had no issue bringing it up and pursuing his assailant. Who knew? Maybe he'd gain more information about that so-called talisman they wanted. He wondered if they knew the woman who had it now, and what her connection to it was.

He finished his cigarette and tossed it to the ground, slipping on a special mask that made him invisible to the human eye. It was a dark-grey muzzle mask made from thin iron and was carved into the mouth of a dragon. He would have gotten one to match the dragon on the talisman, but there were only so many details he could collect from his memories when he went to have the mask created. He planned on getting a new one around the same time he did the modifications on his bike.

He was now fully in the town, standing in the intersection of the two streets his target was on. The streets were quiet from everyone being at home sleeping soundly in their beds. He looked around, his eyes wandering to a flickering light post. He looked up to see if he could see the stars, but there was too much light for them to be visible. Ah, the simple joys of being human, he missed. There was no night or 'time' in the spirit world, only one long dreary day. He spent a lot of his time on Earth for that very reason. He missed nighttime, he missed the weather, he missed the sun and the stars, and that's why he chose this job. It allowed him to visit the human world and still experience the simple pleasures that humans took for granted.

An older woman carrying groceries caught his eye from across the street. He wondered why she was out so late and if she had any family to do the shopping for her. He found himself getting lost in memories of his human life as he watched the woman disappear into an old apartment building. _'I need ta focus. Lily's gonna be mad at me if I take any longer,' _he thought to himself as he focused back on the shop his target was in. He saw Dante sawing away at pieces of wood and carrying them to a pile of wood that had already been cut.

Gajeel walked toward the shop and stood in the doorway, watching the guy work quietly. He had to admit, the mask was probably the best thing ever. Being able to spy on his targets without being seen was a huge benefit to his work. He entered the shop and squatted in a corner, removing his mask and waiting for the perfect time to strike.

* * *

Dante Greenwood was a simple man who enjoyed the pleasure of polygamy. Unfortunately, his wife was not as big a fan as he thought, not that he really cared. He had been married for almost fifteen years and had an illegitimate child outside of that marriage and was able to keep it hidden for quite some time until the mistress showed up at their door angry one day.

As a carpenter, his job sometimes required him to travel to different towns and villages, where he met all types of people and made good money. He slept around as much as he wanted, as he was sure his wife only wanted him for his money. Though there was sure to be _some_ love there, they endured the Fallout together, and only had each other.

Now, he was currently working on a mahogany dresser for a client who'd paid him a large sum of money to get it done quickly, so the only thing on his mind was getting it done with no interruptions. He had to leave a few times to gather more wood, but that was no big deal.

This evening was especially weird for him. A few times throughout the night, he'd felt like he was being watched, and occasionally, he'd get chills that ran down his spine, but he thought nothing of it. _'Maybe it's all in my head, but I just don't feel right today,'_ he thought to himself as a chunk of wood he sawed fell to the floor. Bending down to pick it up, his face went pale as he spotted an intimidating presence squatting in the corner.

"What'sa matter?"

Dante fell to his ass, scrambling backward toward the door to get away from whatever just appeared in his workshop. All he knew was a rather large man with long and dark unruly hair and a menacing face had just popped up, when to his knowledge, the shop was empty the whole day.

"Wh-who the hell are you?!"

Gajeel stood from his position, showing his true height and size, which had to be at least seven feet tall and maybe two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle. He walked casually to the man, who'd pretty much all but shit his pants, and lifted him up by his collar.

"I'm the last thing yer ever gonna see," he said, a very sadistic grin on display.

"Wh-what do you think you're doing?! Let me down this instant!" Dante's hands scrambled to Gajeel's, trying to pry it off his favorite blazer, which just so happened to be a gift from his mistress. He looked down, seeing a large, gloved hand that sported huge steel knuckles latched onto him, his efforts in vain as he tried with all his might to unlatch it. He flailed around, kicking and punching anything he could reach in hopes of being let go, but somehow, he knew this was the end.

Gajeel wanted to harass him a bit more, but Lily insisted he make this quick. He laughed, the man's pleas becoming amusing. "Oh, I will, but first, **this**."

Dante's vision suddenly blurred, as blood came pouring out of his mouth. He looked down to see that he'd been skewered like a damn piece of meat. He fell to the ground, coughing up more blood as his body slipped off the blades. His vision faded, his mind replaying events of his life as if it were a movie; the most intimate and his favorite memories of loved ones being played in a slideshow. After what seemed like an eternity of pain, all went white.

* * *

He opened his eyes to be surrounded by nothing but white, a thick fog surrounding his body. He stood, looking around as if to find anything other than _nothing_. He looked down, and with the fog now encasing his feet, he took a step, not knowing on what or where he was stepping.

"Where am I?" He asked aloud, slowly walking and surveying the area around him, only seeing the white fog that stretched as far as he could see.

"You're in limbo," approached a large figure.

Dante squinted his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. It was a huge, human-like cat, and this was no small cat either; the scarf it had draped around its shoulders leaving none to the imagination.

"What the hell is this?" Dante asked, clearly frustrated.

"You're dead, and your soul is in limbo. I'm here to take you to your destination." Lily saw the shock on the man's face, who hadn't remembered his death.

"Wait, I'm dead?" The man staggered backward, his hand on his face in shock. "I-I don't know how… I was just at work, and the last thing I remember was waking up here! H-how did this happen?"

"Follow me, please," Lily instructed, walking away. He didn't really care for souls who lived their life in a bad manner, and Lily had the ability to read souls both dead and undead. This guy wasn't among the worst he'd seen, though he was pretty bad, and felt he didn't deserve any explanations.

"Wait!" Dante called out after him, lightly jogging to catch up with the large man-cat. "At least tell me who… or what you are."

Lily stopped walking and turned to face the human, who was considerably shorter than him. He pondered on if he should go through the whole spiel of who and what he was. After all, he had to go through this several times a day, and judging by what he saw in his soul, this guy was a dick.

He sighed, eventually giving in to his own conscience. "My name is Lily, and I am a reaper. I'm supposed to take your soul either to heaven or to hell, depending on how you lived your life."

"How did I die? I mean, I remember feeling strange at work, but that was it." Dante was genuinely confused, only wanting answers. This was getting a bit hard to wrap his head around. He was dead… but alive also? No, this was just an out of body experience. This was his soul, not his body, right? Heaven? Hell? He thought all of it was fake, but the reaper in front of him told him otherwise. As the man-cat kept walking, Dante followed closely behind him.

"Apparently your _wife_ didn't agree with the multiple women you've been with during your marriage," Lily said, scanning the area ahead of him in search of the Gate.

"Vivien killed me?!" Dante asked incredulously.

"She didn't kill you herself, though she did play a factor in your death," Lily said as they approached a large white gate. The Gate was where reapers drop off the souls that go either to heaven or hell, and the end of their job… granted the souls cooperated.

"We're here. Just walk through that gate, and you'll be where your soul belongs." Lily gestured toward the opening.

"W-where am I going?" Dante asked, unsure if he should enter.

"Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to discuss that with you." Lily could very well tell the soul where they were going, but he didn't feel like arguing with anyone who went to hell, so he decided to keep it to himself, even if the soul was going to heaven.

"What happens if I don't go?"

Lily, annoyed by the question, pulled out his scythe, which was blood red with a thick silver lining, aiming it at Dante's neck. "I'll send you through that gate myself."

From time to time, Lily would come across the occasional soul that didn't want to go through the Gate. In some instances, he'd have to use brute force to send the soul through. He understood, he supposed. It was a little different for him since he was just a simple house cat before he died, but he remembered being scared and unsure, especially after being born again.

"Alright, alright, I'll go. Shit, you say I'm dead anyway so what does it matter?" Dante said, facing the Gate. It was a pearl-white gate that stood maybe as tall as fifty feet, with rails about a foot thick. He looked up, having to crane his neck to see the top of it. "Some fence, huh?" He muttered to himself. He took one look back at the reaper and gave a soft smile before walking through.

Lily watched as the man vanished into the fog that now started flowing through the rails, knowing that his soul was most likely doomed for eternity. "Well, that was a bit annoying," Lily said to himself. "I'll have to have another conversation with that goblin." In a flash, he was back in the bar with Gajeel sitting at the counter in his favorite chair.

"Took ya long enough," Gajeel said as he took a swig of a beer he'd stolen from the behind the counter. He'd been waiting for maybe thirty minutes before Lily came back.

"Actually, I've been meaning to speak with you about your work," Lily said, walking to his back room where he kept his abundance of melee weaponry. Even though he usually only used the scythe, he still collected and restored old weapons, and would use them from time to time.

"My work that good, huh?" The goblin said as he smirked, a large fang on display.

"No." Lily emerged from the weapon room, putting a halt to his foolishness. "Too messy. You know that most of the time _I'm _the one who has to clean up after you, so why don't you make it easy on me?"

"Come on, Lil! Yer my best friend! What typa friendship would it be if I didn't make yer life hard every now an' then?" Gajeel laughed heartily, taking another swig.

"Whatever." Lily knew it was mundane to ask, as he knew his goblin friend would never make it easy on him. As he went behind the counter, he grabbed Gajeel's glass from the cupboard and poured him a drink.

"Hey, I gotta question fer ya, cat," he said, before chugging the rest of his beer and lighting a cigarette. "How come I never see any of the Fallen on Earth?"

"Why must you always speak of them?" Lily asked, getting more annoyed by the second. It was almost forbidden to speak about the Fallen and their antics, and Lily had seen spirits get punished and sent to the underworld for talking about them, let alone pursuing them. Gajeel, on the other hand, gave no care about what was forbidden and what wasn't. He had a personal problem with them and was going to keep that wrath with him until he found them.

"I mean, I know they're the cause of the Fallout— "

"_May_ have been the cause," Lily interrupted. It wasn't confirmed if they were the cause of the damage done in the human world, but people and spirits both were ninety-nine percent sure that they _were_ the cause.

"Yeah, yeah. So, if it was so important for 'em ta take over, how come I never see 'em around?" He asked, kicking his feet back on the counter for the millionth time, and for the millionth time, Lily swatted at his feet.

"A lot of them are already down there and have been since the Fallout. They have the ability to blend in with the humans, and they're undetectable until you get in close contact with them," the reaper explained.

"So, they never came back to the spirit world?" Gajeel asked, flicking his ash into the tray in front of him.

"They can't. Not without a portal. Many of them are stuck down there because of that fact."

"But there are portals everywhere," Gajeel said. "Ya just gotta know how ta use 'em."

"True," Lily said, wiping down the part of the counter Gajeel's feet were on. "But they don't have access. They've been banned from the spirit world for causing too much trouble."

"So ya finally admit they were the cause, eh?" The goblin laughed at the annoyed look on his reaper friend's face.

"Catchin' ya slip up is rare, I might as well enjoy it!" He raised his glass in an imaginary toast to Lily's defeat.

"Well, we all knew deep down," Lily said, shrugging his shoulders and walking to the other side of the counter to sit and drink with his friend. "Getting to the spirit world isn't easy anyway, you know."

"Well, I'm one lucky bastard then," Gajeel said, eyeing the bottle Lily was bringing around.

"Yeah, be grateful that your bike only works with you. It was expensive

and almost impossible to craft."

"I take good care of 'er, don't I?" Gajeel looked through the window to see his all-black-with-silver-lining Harley. "Cleaned her after I got back. I can't fuckin' wait to start my mods, man."

"You'll never get it back," Lily said, matter-of-factly.

"Wow, no faith, huh?"

"None, whatsoever," Lily said with a smirk, just to annoy his goblin friend.

"Well," Gajeel said, standing and pushing his chair out. "Lemme know when you find another job for me."

"You know, I'm not the one who finds those for you."

"Yeah, I know, but next time, find a more challenging one," Gajeel said as he walked to the door, completely disregarding anything Lily just said. "I'm tired of these quick kills."

"Then kill in the spirit world or the underworld. Those are definitely more challenging," Lily offered.

"Nah, not 'til I finish my business on Earth," Gajeel said, standing in the doorway.

"Then, you'll keep getting humans, and you know they don't put up much of a fight."

"Gihi! Maybe I'll go weaponless next time!" Gajeel cracked his knuckles.

"Great," the reaper said, deadpan. "More messes to clean up."

"You know it," the dark-haired man said, exiting the bar.

"You're not going to drink?" Lily called after him.

"Maybe later, I'm gonna get some rest," he said with a wave of his hand as he hopped on his bike and drove off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The roar of his Harley was the only sound he could hear, and it matched perfectly with his mood— angry. He was angry at the fact that he agreed to work on his only day off of the week, and that it was most likely his only day off for a while as it was the time of the year when it got a bit busier. He only agreed to do the job because it supposedly paid really well, and Lily almost harassed him to go.

Ever since the Fallout, the Fallen took over every territory in the human world, controlling the population and monopolizing whatever farmland was still useable. Food was scarce and people struggled to make a living which caused friction. The Fallen used that friction to their advantage by placing ads in the paper that allowed people with grudges to seek revenge and pay money to have people killed. The requests would then get sent to the spirit world to have goblins or demons complete the job.

The only issue with that was the fact that Gajeel wanted to get rid of them, and by doing so, work would be almost nonexistent for him. The reapers would still have souls to take, as people died from natural causes all the time, but his job was specific to taking contract kills. He supposed there were other ways he could get money, but he was pretty comfortable with how things were now. It made sense, though, as to why no one in the spirit world would talk about it. As bad as they were, the Fallen brought income into the spirit world with their new business and it would do more harm than good to get rid of them.

"Shit," he muttered to himself as he pulled over to the side of the road, no longer able to drive on because of the fallen bridge that lied ahead.

"Guess I'm gonna have ta go another way." Gajeel lit a cigarette and stood from his bike, pulling out his phone in an attempt to locate his target.

"No fuckin' service in this shit place," he complained, holding his phone in the air. It was an old phone, that worked both in the spirit world and the human world. When disaster struck, most of the cellular towers were destroyed and electronics became harder and harder to come across. Whatever people had when it happened was what they were stuck with, and it cost an arm and a leg to get anything new.

"How the hell do they expect someone ta work if shit doesn't work properly?" He asked to no one in particular when he felt a presence appear behind him.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked, now standing next to him. "You were supposed to get this done an hour ago."

"I thought I told ya not ta sneak up on me," Gajeel said, flicking his cigarette into the nearest patch of dirt and muddy water. The goblin sensed the reaper's presence before he said anything, so he wasn't surprised, especially when he always seemed to show up whenever he slacked off.

"Why aren't you headed toward the target?"

"When I can get signal enough ta find another way there, I'll go. Until then, lay off, would ya? I'm not even supposed ta work today."

"I suppose you're going to be bringing this up all day, right? It was _your _choice to accept," the reaper said, shaking his head gently at his stubborn friend.

"Heh, only because the money was right, but it doesn't mean I can't complain," Gajeel said, lighting another cigarette.

"You really should quit those," Lily offered.

"Why? I'm already dead. Inside and out."

"You got me there. Oh, and don't forget to keep it clean this time. Your messes can be a bit tiring to clean up."

"No promises," Gajeel smirked, alone yet again.

* * *

**Four Hours Earlier**

* * *

"_Yer really gonna make me work on my day off?" The goblin complained, downing a shot then slamming the glass on the counter._

"_How many of those are you going to drink? I need you alert for this job, Gajeel," Lily said, handing him a file._

"_You know as well as I do that my tolerance is basically nonexistent, an' ya might as well pour me some more since yer ruinin' my day," Gajeel complained again, sliding his glass to Lily._

"_I figured this would be good for you. It pays well. Take a look." Lily knew more things than he let on, and would gladly tell if Gajeel asked. For now, all he could do was urge his friend in the right direction._

_Gajeel flipped through the pages, blowing smoke at them. He'd already planned to reject the job, but he'd at least humor Lily and look through it. "Nah, I'm good," he said as he closed the file and dropped it on the counter._

"_You sure? I have a feeling you'd benefit from it greatly," the reaper said pushing the file back over to him, trying to be encouraging._

"_Why?" Gajeel snorted. "Yer just gonna have ta clean up after me anyway. Aren't ya just makin' more work fer yerself?" He asked, putting his feet up._

"_I'm just looking out for you, Gajeel. I know you. You're just going to either spend all day sleeping or down on Earth stressing yourself out over that girl. Wouldn't you rather make some money?" _

"_I have enough money," the dark-haired man said, crossing his arms and brushing away Lily's suggestion. "Where's my drink?"_

"_Just look at it. Like, really look at it. Take in all the details," Lily urged, pouring him another drink and shoving the file in his face._

"_Tch," Gajeel rolled his eyes as the ash from his cigarette fell on his shirt. Brushing it to the floor, he sat upright in his chair and opened the file. Throwing back his shot, he actually looked at the details, the first thing catching his eye being the payout._

"_Shit," he muttered as he continued to read the description. "That sucks."_

"_What?" Lily inquired. "You can't be talking about the money."_

"_She's cute. Sucks I gotta kill 'er."_

"_It's just another day," the reaper said, walking around to join his friend for a few drinks._

"_It says here she was luring people ta their deaths. Not much detail on it, though." He continued looking through the details. _

"_The pay I guess is decent enough. I'd be stupid not ta take it."_

"_See, I told you," Lily poked._

"_She must have killed a bunch of people fer someone ta pay this much money," Gajeel said, looking at the payout. He found it hard to believe that a girl like that could be capable of killing anyone, but everyone had their limits, and nobody was innocent._

"_Or the reason is deeper than we expected," the black cat said, taking a swig of beer. "Either way, it's none of our business. Just do your job, and I'll do mine. Nothing more, nothing less."_

"_Gihi! A bit ornery much?" Gajeel asked, laughing. "Relax, man. I got this. You got nothin' ta worry about. I'll even keep it clean fer ya this time."_

* * *

Gajeel was planning on getting this done quickly so he could go back home and enjoy his day off, or what _was_ his day off until he decided to take this job. All was going smoothly until he had to find another route, and that wouldn't have been so bad if he had a signal on his phone. Getting back on his bike, he turned around and tried to find another way, and after riding around for almost an hour, he finally found a way to his destination.

He found an old, abandoned apartment building that stood seven stories high that provided visuals of the whole town once you got to the roof. Parking his bike, he rose from his seat and grabbed his duffel bag and pulled his mask from it so no one could see him scaling the side of the building to get to the roof. Once to the top, he pulled out his binoculars and searched for the girl.

His plan to get his job done quickly was going smoothly again so far. With the information he was given, he pinpointed the building the target was in with no issue. He zoomed in, looking through any open windows or doors that would allow him to see the target, satisfied when a slight opening of a tan curtain allowed him to finally see her. There was a blonde girl standing outside of the window she was in, holding a few paper bags, and putting two and two together, he assumed it was a friend bringing her stuff for the time being. _'Heh, too bad it'll all be for naught.'_

He pulled away, setting his binoculars to the side and lighting a cigarette to pass the time. He wanted to snipe the girl with a poisoned dart, but he didn't want to do it while the blonde was there or draw any attention to himself. He found an old air conditioning unit and sat on it, watching the sun set behind a few puffy clouds. He pulled out his phone, looking through any old photos he had on it and found one of his sister, Anna. He missed her dearly and wondered if she'd been born again like he and Lily, but he didn't even know where or how to find that out. He figured that could be his next task after dealing with the Fallen; he had all the time in the world.

About twenty minutes or so passed by, and Gajeel was content with the number of people that were out and about. He stood from the AC unit and walked to the edge of the roof, and with his mask on, he looked around the area and saw that there were a few stragglers out and that the blonde took her leave. _'Alright, let's get this show on the road,'_ he thought to himself as he prepared his sniper.

After setting everything up, he picked up his binoculars to make sure the girl was still there, only to see something that changed his plans immediately. "Well, how 'bout that?" He grinned almost evilly under his mask. "It's my lucky day."

* * *

Levy McGarden was a woman in her mid-twenties with royal blue hair that she always kept pulled back in a bun and large hazel eyes that could easily sway anyone she came across. She had a way with words; being able to tear anyone down easily with only her voice and using that to her advantage. She typically kept people at a distance because of that reason, and only had one good friend that hadn't been scared off by her words.

She was born into an overprotective family that harbored more secrets than anything, most of them about her. She was rarely allowed out and had almost no free will, that is until the Fallout that killed her family left her by herself. For ten years, she'd been on her own, with her best friend, traveling from town to town, doing everything she couldn't do when her parents were alive.

She eventually found trouble—or rather, trouble found her, and learned the reason why she was kept from the outside world. She was able to handle herself for a few years, but unfortunately, her past actions were catching up to her and she knew it. She'd been in hiding for quite some time now, sleeping in an old abandoned motel. She would have her best friend bring her food and supplies, but even _she_ knew that it would only work for so long until she had to find another place.

Lucy Heartfilia was a woman around the same age as Levy, with brown eyes and blonde hair that flowed down just past her shoulders. She was the only person outside of family who was never hurt by her words, and they'd befriended each other when they were young. Levy's parents were very strict, and the only reason they let the two befriend one another was because they were good friends with Lucy's parents. Lucy and Levy met when they were still in grade school, and they'd been through thick and thin with just each other.

Lucy was currently making runs for Levy, as she couldn't leave for fear of being killed. She'd gone to the corner store and picked up enough food and supplies to last her a few weeks before she had to move to another location. She usually stopped by a few times a week, but Levy wanted her to stop making frequent visits, or it'd begin to look suspicious.

Lucy was almost certain that her blue-haired friend was overreacting, and that nothing was coming after her, but Levy insisted she felt impending doom headed her direction. To be fair, she was always really good at sensing immediate danger and was able to get herself out of it each time, but she sensed this time that it was unavoidable.

She loved Levy with all her heart, but a few years ago, she'd made some decisions that were about to come back and bite her in the butt, and she wasn't anywhere near prepared. She had a feeling Levy was right about upcoming danger, but she prayed to anyone listening that she wasn't.

As Lucy approached the motel Levy was in, she double-checked her surroundings and walked around to the back of the building, searching for Levy's window. The back of the building was facing a wall for the privacy of the guests… if there were still any. Nevertheless, it provided extra cover for Levy, who didn't want to be seen, and for Lucy, who had to sneak in and out. She knocked lightly on the window, hoping Levy would hear her.

Levy cracked open the curtain upon hearing the code that was tapped on the window to see her best friend, who she hadn't seen in a little over a week. A soft smile appeared on her face as she opened the window to let Lucy in.

"It's good to see you," Levy said, giving her blonde friend a hug after helping her through the window. "I was starting to think you were never coming back."

Lucy sat the bags on the floor next to the rickety bed Levy'd taken claim of, then sat on the edge of the bed. "You think I would leave you like this?"

Levy stood in the window, staring at the faded brick wall that was maybe twenty feet away from the window and ten feet high, as it was only a one-story motel. Loose strands of blue hair moved around her face with the breeze that flowed through the open window. She closed the window and pulled the dirty and tattered curtain shut before turning to face Lucy.

"I guess you'd never leave me," Levy said, sitting on the bed and hugging her knees. "That's why I'm leaving you first."

"I wish you wouldn't say those things, Lev," Lucy said, placing her had on Levy's shoulder. "You'll be fine."

"What would you know?" Levy asked curtly.

"I know you're blowing this out of proportion, Lev. You did what you had to do."

"I know I did," she replied, matter-of-factly. "It's just crazy that this messed up world is so out to get me. I didn't ask to be this way." Levy buried her head into her knees, trying to close herself off from the world.

Lucy didn't really know what to do or say to console her friend, so she could at least provide emotional support just by being there. She hated seeing her like this, and she couldn't help but feel partially at fault. She sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Lev."

"Sorry? What for?" Levy raised her head to look at the blonde. "You didn't do anything. I'm the one who keeps dragging you deeper and deeper into _my_ mess, but I can't help it! You're all I have left!"

"I know, Levy. It's alright," Lucy said. "What if it's all in your head, and you're just hyping yourself up?"

"Lu." Levy looked at Lucy, her face completely serious. "Something is coming for me. I can hear it. I just don't know when or where."

"Y-You can hear it?" The blonde asked, dumbfounded.

"Recently, it's been happening more often, like a few times a day. That's how I know something will happen soon."

"What do you mean? How can you hear it?"

"It's because of my connection to the spirit world. I hear voices in my head… the voices of spirits," Levy explained.

Lucy knew this whole situation stemmed from Levy's connection to the spirit world, but she didn't know she could hear spirits. Maybe she was right, and something _was_ coming after her. In that case, she wasn't going to let her only friend just die without a fight.

"I'll stay here with you. And when they show up, we'll kick his butt together!" Lucy's eyes beamed at the thought of being able to be of some use to her depressed friend and held out hope that things would start to look up.

"You're not coming with me, Luce. This is my drama, and mine alone," Levy said, her voice firm.

"But, Lev— "

"No, Lucy!" She said, pausing for a few seconds. "I **won't** bring you down with me. You've been granted life, so _live_."

Lucy looked at the blue-haired woman that sat next to her. She was strong, maybe stronger than she needed to be for her own good, and she admired that about her. She wished she could fight something like this on her own, but Levy had been experiencing this her whole life; this was nothing new for her. Still, Lucy wanted so badly to help, even knowing Levy would never let her.

"Alright," Lucy replied. She knew that this was a fight she wasn't going to win. "Did you want me to stay with you tonight, at least?"

"No, it's alright. Just try to come back tomorrow, please?"

"Okay," the blonde said, standing and walking to the window. "I can tell you're tired, so get some rest. Don't worry yourself too much."

"Lucy," Levy called as she stepped through the window. "I love you so much. Thank you for being there for me most of my life."

Lucy smiled. "You act as if this is the last time we'll see each other! Cheer up! I'll do my best to come by again tomorrow."

'_If only it worked out that way…' _Levy scoffed to herself as she heard the door shut and lock. She leaned back on the bed, her hand subconsciously playing with the talisman hanging from her neck, her entire life playing through her head.

'_**It's coming!'**_

She heard the voice in her head for the fifth time today. It was like an echoey whisper that sent chills up up her spine every time she heard it, though, this time she accepted it. There was nothing she could do. No matter where she went, she would be found, and quite frankly, she was damn tired of running. It was exhausting. At least when she died, she could sleep peacefully without fear, even though she'd be sleeping for the rest of eternity.

'_**It's coming! It's coming NOW!'**_

The whispered voices screeched in her head, her hands rushing to cover her ears as if that could stop them from infiltrating her mind. Tears streamed down her face; her hazel eyes now starry from the moisture. _'I just want it to stop!'_ She pleaded to herself. Her life had been a living hell these past few years and she'd be more than happy for it to end. She was just tired of the anticipation.

Her hands fell back down to her sides when the voices stopped, her eyes glued to the eggshell-colored ceiling when something in the corner of the room moved, catching her eye. She wasn't afraid, as she'd seen spirits several times before. She just hoped this one was here to put an end to this madness.

"Looks like ya have a knack fer knowin' when things are gonna go down," Gajeel said, emerging from a dark shadow.

Levy turned her head to look at the creature that stood before her, studying its very being. He was really tall, maybe two full feet taller than she was, with a thick and stocky build. His long dark hair hung low, complementing the metal studs on his face and his piercing red eyes that felt as if he were staring into her soul. She wanted to know what it… or he… was thinking, but for some reason, it was hard to tell with this one.

"How long have you been in here?" Levy asked, their eyes locked.

"Doesn't matter," Gajeel said, walking to tower over her, his eyes never leaving hers. He'd finally found her after so long of searching. He took in the markings on her wrists, confirming that it was indeed the woman who stole his charm a year ago. He also noticed those same markings wrapped around her neck and ankles. _'There's definitely somethin' weird about this chick, but I can't put my finger on it.'_

Aside from that, he at last got to see the face attached to the voice that'd been in his dreams for so long, and that face was much more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. She was a tiny thing, as if she could float around in the breeze with no issue, and that intrigued him. He wanted to stare at her, to watch her, to learn more about her, to hear her speak, even if it were words that hurt him.

From what he could tell, she looked like she'd been through hell. He wanted to know what drove her to kill, what pushed her over the edge, what was so important about her that she needed to die. She looked depressed, and he wanted to know why. Unfortunately, he had a job to do, and the majority of him wanted to just do it and move on; he had a list of things to get done now that he was getting his talisman back.

"Well, are you here to kill me or not?" She asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Pretty impatient fer a thief," he smirked, leaning over her.

"Thief?" Levy questioned, their eyes still locked.

"Ya really don't remember me, huh? Maybe this'll jog yer memory," he said, yanking the talisman off the chain she had around her neck and stuffing it into his pocket.

"You're…" her eyes widened in realization as he got close enough for her to feel his breath on her ear.

"Now how did a small thing like you lure and kill so many people?" The goblin spoke into her ear with a low voice.

"I'm not the bad guy!" Goosebumps graced her arms as his hair fell to the side of her body. "I only did what I had to do!"

"Don't need an explanation," he said, his eyes wandering down her neck. He was now dangerously close to her, his body all but sprawled out on top of her. He was drowning in her scent and he couldn't break himself away. The markings on her neck now had his attention, his eyes locked onto the glyphs as his hands apparently had a mind of their own.

Levy's skin was hot under his eyes, and she couldn't figure out if he was here to kill her or fuck her. All she knew was there was this thing that wasn't human… in her room literally breathing down her neck. Though, it'd be a lie if she said her body didn't enjoy the foreign attention it was receiving.

His eyes stayed on her neck as his hands wandered her body. Starting with her thick thighs, they traveled up her hips and danced briefly around her slim waist, gliding slowly over her small, but perky breasts, and gently caressing her neck, his large fingers tracing the symbols that wrapped around it.

"What… are you?" She asked breathily, her heart racing with anticipation. This creature, who surely had the ability to kill and crush anything in an instant, was being far more gentle with her than anyone ever had, and their encounter was very brief. She wanted more.

His red eyes snapped to hers, her voice bringing him out of his trance. An evil grin now displayed itself on his face, only his goal of finishing the job now on his mind. "I'm yer worst nightmare."

His grip on her neck suddenly tightened, cutting off her circulation and crushing the bones in her neck almost immediately.

* * *

"Ya fuckin' knew the whole time?!"

After Lily finished his job, he went to visit Gajeel to see how the job went. He knew he was most likely going to get yelled at, but it was worth it. Lily was tired of his friend moping around because of the damned thing, and now he didn't have to listen to him complain as much.

"I didn't know until I found the job," Lily said to his annoyed friend as he sat on the couch next to him. Although he did know who had his talisman before the job ever got sent through, he didn't know where she was located. When he found the job, he claimed it as soon as he saw the name.

"Why didn't ya just say somethin' in the first place?" Gajeel said, digging the talisman out of his pocket and scanning the details. As normal, it looked brand new as if it hadn't been touched.

"Something along the lines of…?" Lily pondered, gripping his chin with his thumb and index finger as if he were thinking deeply.

"Gee, I dunno, maybe somethin' like 'Oh, Gajeel, by the way, this chick is the one who stole the talisman.' Or whatever!"

Lily laughed at his frustration. "Where would the fun in that be? At least you have it now, my friend."

"I even made it easy for ya. No blood or anything, when what I really wanted ta do was gut 'er like a fish," the goblin said, hanging the charm around his neck. "Ah, much better. Now I don't feel like I'm missin' somethin'."

Lily sat in silence for a few minutes going over everything that happened within the last hour or so, while Gajeel flipped through channels of his old TV.

"You didn't… do anything to her, by any chance, did you?" Lily asked, thinking back to when he reaped her soul. "She seemed a bit… flustered… when I found her."

"Gihi! Why? Did she remember?" Gajeel laughed heartily, slapping his cat on the back then stretching his legs and putting his arms behind his head. "I wouldn't be surprised. She was weird."

"No, she didn't remember _how_ she died, but she definitely knew _why_ she died," Lily replied. "She said the last thing she remembered was her friend bringing her food."

"But somehow she was flustered?" Gajeel asked, a smug look on his face. "That means I still got it!"

Lily couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Gajeel. You didn't have sex with her then murder her, did you?"

"Geez, cat! Why would I go that far? I mean, I guess I played with her body a bit, but that's it," the goblin said with a shrug. He could almost see the steam coming from Lily's ears.

"You. Did. What?!"

"I just felt 'er up, that's all. It's not like she was opposed to it. Her aura was practically dripping with lust!" The goblin exclaimed, trying to justify his actions.

"I can't believe you'd take advantage of a woman at her lowest point," Lily said, shaking his head.

"Whoa, wait a second! I never took advantage of her! There was just… something about 'er and I just couldn't…" Gajeel trailed off as his eyes stared off into the distance, not looking at anything in particular.

"You just couldn't what?" Lily asked with a raised brow.

"My body wouldn't listen ta me, man. No matter how hard I tried. The only thing that brought me out of it was when she asked what I was. But I heard no protests from her, in fact, she seemed ta welcome it," he said with a shrug.

"I think you're confusing lust with fear, Gajeel."

"Fuck no I'm not! This chick already knew I was in her room. She was completely unbothered by the whole thing. As a matter of fact, she even asked if I was there ta kill her! Something was up with her, man. She knew I wasn't human, and she wasn't even scared."

"Well, the only thing that matters is that you got your charm back," Lily said wanting to talk about something else.

"Yeah, but all that did was raise more fuckin' questions," Gajeel said, leaning forward and grabbing a cigarette off the coffee table. "Like, why the fuck she wanted it so bad and why I had ta die over it."

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Lily asked, completely serious.

"The fuck're ya talkin' about, cat?" The goblin asked with a confused look on his face.

"She was born again. All you have to do is find her."

"Fuck that! I ain't wastin' any time on 'er again. I already got what I wanted, and I damn sure ain't goin' down to the Underworld ta look for a demon."

"I never said anything about her being a demon," Lily clarified.

"Then, what? I can't imagine someone who lured people ta their death being sent anywhere other than Hell," Gajeel said, digging around for a lighter.

"Never judge a book by its cover, Gajeel. She was one of the few souls that weren't tainted."

"The fuck?" The goblin said scratching his head. "I'm confused."

The reaper chuckled, his knowledge of things being far more vast than Gajeel could ever imagine. "She's an angel."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Lucy approached Levy's window only to find it wide open. Her mouth hung open, hoping that her actions hadn't caused her best friend to get killed. She climbed through the window quickly, almost falling on her face before she could get to her. She approached the bed, Levy's body cold and lifeless. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes, and she fought with all her might to keep them from falling. _'I guess you _were_ leaving me first,'_ she thought to herself as she started searching for the talisman Levy kept around her neck.

"Where is it?!" She asked frantically as she checked every pocket to turn up empty-handed each time. "He's gonna kill me!"

* * *

Salamander was a well-known name that sent chills down the spines of anyone that knew him. He ran the town Levy was hiding in prior to her death, and he only had one goal. Unfortunately, the universe seemed to be doing everything in its power to keep him from achieving it. He'd been in that town for a few years tracking down this 'talisman' he kept hearing about, it supposedly being some sort of portal to the spirit world, and the main thing stopping him was a blue-haired trollop who kept killing his guys.

Apparently, the girl herself was also a direct path to the spirit world, and he'd known about her first beforehand and wanted to use her to complete his mission. It wasn't until she acquired the talisman when he decided to use that instead, and he'd entrusted someone who was close to her to retrieve it. Unbeknownst to him, the talisman was taken back by the contractor that killed her, thus causing a new obstacle to overcome for his plan to work.

He and a handful of others had taken over an underground bunker that saved hundreds of people during the Fallout. The bunker had several large rooms or chambers, each with a few beds and a small bathroom. There was some storage space for supplies and canned goods, and a large generator that supplied enough electricity for the whole bunker.

He kicked the survivors out of the bunker upon discovery of the structure, forcing them to find their own living accommodations as they used their magic to turn the bunker into an underground fortress. He'd been there for about ten years and didn't plan on going anywhere until his plans were set in place.

It was a chilly evening and Salamander was sitting in his huge reclining chair next to the large brick fireplace he built in one of the chambers. The flames crackled and the embers flew around the fire, creating an orange glow that went nicely with the deep red color scheme in his room.

He tapped his fingers on the armrest as his anger slowly swelled. He'd gotten word that the girl was finally dead, but he couldn't sense the talisman anymore, and it pissed him off beyond belief. It was half of the reason he had her killed, and it threw a wrench in his plans. His hand balled into a fist as he heard the soft squeaking of a large metal door being opened.

"Um… sir?" A woman's voice sounded timidly.

"I hope you have good news for me, Luce," Salamander said, the back of the recliner facing the door.

"I… couldn't find it," she said, her eyes glued to the ground.

He paused whatever movement and craned his neck, glaring at the girl. "What did you say?"

"I-I looked everywhere! I swear she had it on just yesterday!" Lucy exclaimed as he stood from his chair.

"You worthless girl!" Salamander punched the bricks above the fireplace, the flames roaring bigger to match his anger.

"I'm sorry!" Lucy cried as she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "You told me you weren't going to have her killed!"

The pink-haired man walked over to the girl, standing over her with a look of disgust on his face. "What the hell did I say about talking back? Know your place, girl," he snarled, walking out of the room.

Lucy felt defeated. She felt she was part of the cause of Levy's death. _'If I would have taken the talisman when I found out about it… she'd still be alive.' _She hated herself for betraying the only friend she had, and for abusing her trust. She knew now that there was nothing she could do but live with her actions and accept the consequences.

She hung her head low and opened her eyes, the hard concrete floor beneath her hands and knees and the sound of her crying echoing throughout the whole chamber, covering up the sound of footsteps that stopped behind her.

"What are you doing down there?"

She heard a gruff voice from behind her, most likely someone working with Salamander. Her tears fell harder, only wanting to be left to sit in her own misery.

"Did he send you to kill me too?" She asked, her voice broken.

"What are you talking about? Stop sputtering nonsense and get up," the man said. As he extended a hand to help her up, he saw her wince slightly, probably expecting to be punished for whatever reason. _'Natsu… you piece of shit.'_

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you," he said. "I actually need your help."

Lucy wiped her face and took his hand, standing to face a man who was at least a foot and a half taller than her, with a stocky build and short blond hair paired with blue eyes. He had a scar over his right eye, and it caught her attention the most out of every attribute she saw. She wasn't really interested in helping one of Salamander's goons, or why he wanted _her_ help, but she couldn't deny the fact that this man was gorgeous. _'Too bad you're a dick,'_ she thought to herself as she averted her eyes.

"We're not all like that," he said as if he were reading her thoughts.

"W-what?" She asked, confusion flickering in her eyes.

"We're not all dicks."

"But you're one of them," Lucy said, her voice small.

"I'm my own being," he replied, simply. "Just follow me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Lucy glared at the man as she stepped to the side and walked off, only for her wrist to be captured. She turned, her medium-length blonde hair swinging gently as her eyes caught his. She sensed no danger or ill will from him, and it seemed like he understood her pain.

"I-I'm sorry," he said apprehensively. He felt he should have known better than to just grab her as he did. She clearly felt some type of way about this whole situation, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.

Lucy looked down; her wrist still trapped in his large hand. She noticed he wasn't as aggressive as Salamander was, and nowhere near as mean, though she was sure he could be. He seemed to care somewhat about what she was and wasn't comfortable with, and she appreciated it.

"Sorry," he said, realizing he still had ahold of her as he dropped her wrist and took a step back awkwardly. "Will you help me?"

Lucy took into consideration that he was being deferential to her and _asking _instead of just_ taking_. She nodded her head softly, and at the same time, she saw him perk up slightly at her acceptance.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, curious as to what he could possibly need her aid for.

"We shouldn't talk in here," he said, motioning to the space around them.

He was right. She'd forgotten that they were in Salamander's chamber and he could return at any minute. The last thing she wanted was to be punished again in any way. Every day, she feared for her life. When Levy was alive, Lucy felt that she was only alive because of Levy and the talisman. Now what use did she have? He could kill her at any moment for any reason. She needed out of there and maybe this guy could help.

The tall man brushed past her, leaving the room, and the blonde felt obligated to follow. As they made their way through the corridor, he stayed a few steps ahead of her, allowing her to see his true size. Every time she walked through those halls, she felt so small, and seeing him walk through those same halls, she felt even smaller.

They rounded a corner and proceeded down another large corridor, with several matching doors that went to the end of the hall. Just before the end, he stopped at a door that had a large 'L' hanging in the center of it and it grabbed her attention. She stared at it from a few feet away, intrigued by the fact that it looked like it was made from pure gold. _'Wow, fancy.'_

"It's real," the man said, seeing that she took an interest in it. He removed it from the door and held it in his hands. "See?"

He extended his hand, handing the letter to the blonde who looked at it curiously. She grabbed it, amazed at how light it was— that is until he let go of it. Lucy yawped, almost dropping it to the ground because of how heavy it was.

"How can you just carry something so heavy with ease?" She asked, hunched over with the letter hanging from her hands.

"It's not heavy at all. What are you talking about?" He laughed, taking the letter from her hands and hanging it from his index finger. He took pleasure in the look of amazement on her face. _'She's really pleased with the simple stuff, huh?'_ He hung it back on the door and opened it, gesturing her inside.

Lucy stepped inside to see that his chamber was identical to Salamander's in terms of structure, but the layout and color scheme was entirely different. The first thing she saw was his large canopy bed, maybe the size of two king beds put together, with a sheer blue and gold curtain and comforter to match neatly placed on top of it. She looked around, seeing a huge white dresser with a variety of drinks along with a big mirror with a thick, gold frame sitting on top of it. _'I didn't take him as one who'd care about his appearance,' _she thought to herself as she sat in a white accent chair next to the dresser.

"So," Lucy started, her hands tapping her knees. "How do you expect a small fry like me to help you?"

"I need you to help me stop the raging douchebag from destroying everything," he said, closing the door and walking to stand in front of her. "The only problem with that is the fact that everyone here follows that guy, and I just don't get it."

Lucy felt a little uncomfortable helping him given all the crap she'd been put through. Yes, she wanted to stop Salamander, but she knew if the plan backfired, she would most likely be killed, and she wasn't ready to die just yet. She looked at him, full of caution. "Your kind has done nothing but torment and use me for your own ridiculous purposes."

"Like I said, we're not all like that," he reiterated. He could see it on her face that she was confused and in need of more information, and he'd gladly tell her anything she needed to know, as he needed her and _only_ her to help.

"The name is Laxus," he said, walking to his dresser to pour himself a drink.

"I fell because I didn't agree with the big guy's rules, but that doesn't make me a bad being. Just makes me my own being. You drink?" He asked, pouring her a glass as well.

Lucy shook her head, even though she could really use one. _'You're not gonna get me drunk then manipulate me.'_

"You're really jaded, huh?" He asked with a chuckle. "Here." Handing her the glass, he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "I'm not gonna do anything to you."

Lucy didn't feel as if she were in danger being around him, which was a first. Usually, these guys were assholes, but he seemed to be a little more… human… than the others. _'To hell with it! I could use a drink!'_ she reached for it, taking a big gulp immediately.

"Gah!" She exclaimed, almost spitting it out. "What is this?!"

Laxus gave a boisterous laugh, resulting in a glare from the blonde. "I forgot; you humans can only handle so much alcohol. Let me get you something else."

"No! It's fine!" Lucy exclaimed, feeling weak. She hated that feeling and would put a stop to it in any way, no matter how trivial. She downed the harsh liquid in an attempt to prove her point. "See?"

"I don't know what you're trying to prove, you can barely keep a straight face!" He laughed. "You look like you're dying!"

"I'm fine, I swear," she said weakly, her chest and stomach burning from drinking so much of it in one sitting.

"Here," he said, helping her up. "Rest here until you feel better." He helped her to his bed, amused at her lack of tolerance.

"I'm fine, Laxus. I don't need your help," she said as she started to slur her words slightly.

"You do know that I can read your thoughts, right?" He asked with a grin.

"Whaaaaa? That's cool!" Lucy said, sprawling out on the bed. "What am I thinking now?"

"That you're definitely not okay, and you're extremely drunk," he said, walking to the door. "Stay here, I'm gonna get something to help sober you up."

As the door shut, Lucy looked around, or at least she felt like she was looking around. She couldn't really tell if it was just the room spinning, but she did know she was quite drunk. _'Geez, what the hell kinda drink was that?'_ She didn't remember her tolerance being that low, but it could be a drink not of Earth. _'I'm gonna ask him once he gets back.'_

Maybe fifteen minutes later, Laxus came back to his chamber to find a sleeping blonde curled up in his bed. _'Who woulda thought I'd be working with a human?_' he thought to himself. _'I'll just talk to her when she wakes up.'_

* * *

Lucy's brown eyes opened slowly, blinking away the sleep as she tried to collect her thoughts and memories. _'I don't recognize this place.'_ As she lifted her upper body up from the large mattress she'd been sleeping on, her head started pounding.

"Ah," she winced in pain as she brought her hands to her head.

"You're finally awake," a deep voice said, startling her.

"What the hell?!" The blonde yelped, seeing a large man sitting in a chair next to the bed. "How did I get here?! What…? Y-You didn't do anything to me did you?"

"I didn't touch you." He was amused as he watched her check her body for anything different. _'I'm not that much of a piece of shit, lady.'_

"Here, drink this," he said, handing her a mug of mysterious liquid. "It's supposed to help humans with hangovers or somethin'."

"Eh?" She looked confusedly at the man sitting in front of her.

"You passed out drunk, so I just let you sleep," he said, still holding the mug in his hand. "Just take this, it'll make you feel better."

"Oh, thanks…" her face got cherry red remembering her memories from the previous night. _'Ugh! So embarrassing! I can't even hold my liquor!'_

"Relax," the blue-eyed man said with a chuckle. "It wasn't your fault. I tend to like the stronger stuff."

"Stronger stuff?! That was literally pure alcohol!" Lucy exclaimed as she took a sip from the mug.

"You are correct, actually," he started. "Not only was it pure alcohol, but it was also from the spirit world too. I'm sure you're familiar with the place."

"The spirit world? I've never been, but I had a late friend who'd been a bunch of times."

Laxus leaned back in his chair, taking in her body language and her quiet voice when she spoke of her friend. "And I'm guessing this friend is the one Salamander had killed?"

"He promised me he wouldn't have her killed," Lucy said, holding back tears.

"What an idiot," Laxus muttered under his breath, pinching his brow. "He got rid of the only thing capable of stopping this madness, and he didn't even know it."

"Are you talking about her connection to the spirit world?" Lucy inquired, taking another sip from the mug.

"At least all isn't lost," he said with a sigh as he dragged his hand down his face. "I need your help because you're familiar with the talisman she kept in her possession."

"Oh, that thing…" she trailed off, it only bringing forth bad memories. "It was gone when I found her yesterday."

"You really don't have it, do you?" He asked, hoping for the right answer.

"N-No! Why would I? If I had it, I would have avoided getting chewed out! What use would I have for it?"

"Possession of the talisman grants you access to the spirit world if you know how to use it. I guarantee you've been around that girl long enough to know, right?" He asked with a sly grin.

Lucy didn't really know too much about the talisman. She knew with Levy's connection to the spirit world, she would sometimes find herself vulnerable, and spirits would come to her on their own accord. As far as she knew, ever since she'd come across the talisman, the spirits stopped showing up. She just recently found out that she'd been _hearing_ them instead.

"E-Even so…" Lucy couldn't help but blush at the sight of the grinning angel before her. "I never touched it because of how attached to it she was."

"And yet you still worked against her for all those years," he said, his blue eyes staring electrical daggers into hers. "Tell the truth."

The woman broke her gaze as it became too much for her to handle.

"He hired me," Lucy said, her face solemn.

Laxus leaned forward in his chair as his arms rested on his knees, his hands clasped together, and his brow furrowed. "What do you mean, 'he hired you'?"

"I'd been friends with Levy for almost fifteen years, and I guess he sought me out and tried to use me against her," she paused to look up and see him staring at her, his expression almost urging her to continue. "Maybe five years ago, I was approached by a man who told me I could live as comfortably as I'd like, as long as I worked with him."

Laxus leaned back in his chair, taking in the information he was given. She was only human, and she acted how any human would act to survive in a state of panic. He understood where she was coming from.

"Of course, given the state I was in— I had no family and the only friend I had was Lev, we had nowhere to live so we ended up couch surfing for a few years. Of course, I took the job, but I didn't find out what my job entailed until I agreed, and he threatened to kill me if I didn't cooperate."

She finished off the last of the mug and set it on the white nightstand next to the bed. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she sat on the edge, facing him.

"So, you took the chance to be comfortable, even though your friend wouldn't be?" Laxus asked, reading the woman carefully.

"I was going to share my wealth with her, until I realized exactly what my job was," Lucy clarified.

"And your job was to…?"

Lucy looked away again. He had this way of boring into her with just his eyes, making her say things out loud that she'd never even _think_. She looked for any distractions, for any way out of this uncomfortable conversation.

"I was supposed to get her close to you guys…" she paused, gesturing toward him. "The Fallen… so they could use her as a door that connected them with the spirit world."

"I'm guessing that didn't pan out properly?" The angel asked with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The blonde shook her head. "No. Eventually, she figured out who and what they were, and she started killing them off."

Laxus rubbed his chin, impressed that she was able to pull that off several times. "Wow, I gotta give her props. It's not easy to kill one of us, but that makes sense as to why he wanted her dead."

"A year ago, she found this guy who had this talisman she kept talking about, and he was just out roaming around town one evening. She told me she was able to snatch it from him and run off before he could find her, and she kept ahold of it ever since."

"And what importance did that thing have to her?" The man asked, intrigued by the conversation.

"I guess it helped her control her connection to the spirit world, I'm not too sure, honestly," she said with a shrug. "She really didn't elaborate on it much, all I know was that spirits would visit her, and it put her in harm's way a lot of the time. She could tell if a spirit was good or bad, and she always seemed to get visited by the bad ones."

"They stopped coming for her once she got the talisman?"

"She said they stopped visiting her, but instead she started hearing them in her head, I guess," Lucy explained. "She didn't really like to talk about it, so I didn't push her."

"Hmm," the angel before her stroked his chin as he compiled all of the info in his head.

"But what about you? Aren't you working for him too?" Lucy was still confused about the situation at hand. This guy was one of the ones who took part in the Fallout, and yet, he didn't seem malicious. He honestly seemed like he was just along for the ride. All she knew was, he somehow needed her help and a small part of her actually _wanted_ to help him.

"I guess you could say so if you asked him. But I'm only here because I needed to blend in to make my plan work." He figured it was time to give the girl a proper explanation. After all, he did just make her spill the beans on things he _knew_ she didn't want to talk about. It was one of the many powers that he didn't really like using, this particular case being an exception.

"You've been here all this time, how come you haven't implemented your plan yet?" The blonde asked curiously.

"Because at first, he didn't have an ulterior motive, but ever since he found out about the girl, he started coming up with a plan that's most likely going to destroy everything."

"So, isn't his plan ruined, now?"

"Nope, not with the talisman in existence," Laxus said, standing from his chair and extending a hand.

"But it was stolen! How is he going to get it back?" She asked, taking his hand and hopping off the bed.

"It was most likely stolen by the goblin that killed her."

"A goblin?"

"All of our hits go through the spirit world and are usually handled by goblins, then their souls are reaped by reapers," he explained, walking to his dresser. "On occasion, they could be handled by demons, but it doesn't happen often."

Lucy was overwhelmed by all the information thrown at her; all she could do was nod her head and follow along with what was said.

"I know this is a bunch to process, but it'll start to make sense as time progresses. Let's go. We need to find the talisman so the idiot doesn't get to it."

He reached into the top drawer of his dresser and pulled out a large, brown tunic that was lined with fur and draped it over the empty space on his dresser. With a bright flash of light, he'd changed into a pair of red pants and a black, long-sleeved shirt that was almost skintight. He took in the look of awe on the girl's face as he draped the tunic around his shoulders, leaving it open in the middle.

To be frank, all she wanted to do at the moment was shower and change her clothes; she'd been in the same outfit since the day before, and she was slightly jealous that he could just change outfits in a flash. She supposed there were more important things to worry about, though.

"How are we going to find it if a goblin has it?" Lucy asked, not wanting to get sidetracked by her distractions.

"Rumor has it, there's a goblin roaming around Earth looking for the folks responsible for burning his home down. I wanted to get in contact with him to see if he knows who has it."

"What makes you think he knows about it?"

"Well, it's my only option since I have no way back to the spirit world. I can at least ask him to ask around," Laxus said, running a hand through his short hair.

Lucy kind of understood what was going on, but she was still uncertain as to why he needed her assistance to find it. She honestly didn't mind helping him, she just wasn't sure how much of a help she'd be.

"Why do you need me again?" She asked hesitantly.

"Because you're the only one aside from…" he paused, not wanting to bring up her dead friend. "Your late friend… who has any experience with it. Once we get ahold of it, you can help me gain access to the spirit world. Then I can try and alert everyone, and maybe then I'll have a group of spirits who can help me stop this guy."

"Oh, I suppose," she said quietly. _'But what's to stop you from using me then killing me?'_

He looked down at the blonde human girl, her thoughts written all over her face. _'What does she take me for? Some sort of brute?' _He understood her pain and where she was coming from, though. Who knew how much torture she'd been through dealing with the Fallen? That's precisely why he was trying to build her trust, so she would help him. The only thing about that was could _he_ trust _her_?

"Where is that girl?!" Laxus and Lucy heard a voice coming from the hallway that snapped them out of their thoughts.

"Oh no," Lucy said in a panic. "He's coming!"

"There's no point in hiding, girl," Salamander said, almost kicking the door open.

"Hey! What the fuck?" Laxus said, getting in his face. "You don't just barge into other people's rooms, ya know!"

"My business is with the human," Salamander said, his eyes shooting over to Lucy. "You're working with this guy now? After all I've done for you?"

"I'm not, I promise! I was… I was just…" she faltered. Her eyes grew big as he sidestepped Laxus and marched over to her.

"Have you forgotten something, girl?" Salamander gripped her face forcefully. "_You_ work for _me_. Do you want me to send you with your dear friend?"

Laxus was getting more annoyed by the second. Sure, he technically worked under Salamander, but he wasn't just going to sit and watch him treat this girl like dirt. He looked briefly at the pink-haired man, then at the blonde, seeing her face scrunched up in pain. The grip on her face seemed to be getting tighter and tighter.

"That's enough, Salamander," he said, walking up to his fellow fallen and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" The angered man said, looking over his shoulder.

Laxus barely had time to respond as Salamander threw an elbow to his face, causing him to stagger backward a bit.

"Like I said," he said, facing the blond man. "My business is with the girl."

"Well it looks like the girl doesn't have any business with you," Laxus retorted, throwing a punch almost immediately and sending Salamander to the ground. "You don't treat humans like that, especially those who are helpless," he continued, grabbing Lucy by the hand and leaving the room.

"Hey," Laxus said, looking down at the teary-eyed girl. "Just relax and hold on, this is gonna feel weird for a sec."

"You better hope we never run into each other ever again," Salamander's voice echoed menacingly all around them as they were engrossed in an almost blinding white light for a few seconds.

Lucy had her eyes screwed shut as a sound similar to rushing water was all she could hear until all went silent.

"It's alright, you can relax now," Laxus said to the girl holding on to him for dear life.

She opened her eyes, seeing crystal-clear waters that stretched as far as the eye could see, and light tan sand that was wrapped around her ankles. It'd been a while since she was _this_ confused and overwhelmed, but something about Laxus made her feel at ease and not as worried.

"A beach…?" She asked, looking around.

"This is a place I like to go to clear my head sometimes," Laxus explained.

"He can still get to me here," she said, her voice quiet. She figured, if he could get them there with ease, then Salamander would have no problem doing the same.

"Nope," he said, running his hand through his hair. "He's gonna have a hard time trying to find us here, and besides, he didn't seem too interested in pursuing you."

"Thank God," Lucy said, holding back tears and burying her head into his chest.

'_How did things end up this way?'_ He thought to himself as he held on to the small woman, pulling her closer. "As long as I'm around, you won't have to deal with that asshole ever again."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Laxus led Lucy into the forested part of the island he'd brought her to, walking down a long and narrow path that he hadn't been down in years. He cleared the branches and vines that were obstructing the path as they made small talk about random things that crossed their minds.

"So, what is this place?" Lucy asked as he lifted a large branch so that she could walk under it.

"This was where I landed when I fell, and I stayed here for a long time until I got bored," he motioned to the small shack that was standing at the end of the path. "I built this when I first got here. Took two days and all of my energy, but it was worth it."

Lucy stared at the structure, her mind full of questions. Mainly, she was impressed that he managed to build this in two days, though he _was_ an angel after all. _'He must not have had a lot of power when he fell,'_ she thought to herself as they approached the hut. "How long were you here?"

"Hmm, maybe a few hundred years," he replied, fighting with the door to get it open. "I preferred my solitude, but after a while, it got boring."

After finally getting the wooden door open, he ushered her inside, a light immediately flickering on upon their entry. Her eyes widened, the shack a million times bigger inside than it was outside. It was complete with everything anyone could possibly need to survive, from food and supplies to books and entertainment.

Immediately to the left after walking in was the kitchen, with wooden countertops and a small island in the middle. It even had appliances and matching wooden cabinets that she assumed were stocked with food. Directly ahead was a short hallway with two doors on each side, and to the right was the living space, which had a large bookshelf filled with all types of books and magazines. A large white sectional was placed in the center of the room with a huge flat-screen TV placed comfortably in front of it, with a white coffee table in between.

"H-How even…" Lucy was dumbfounded. She hadn't the slightest clue how to react or what to say. Laxus curved the corner of his mouth up in a smirk, loving the reactions that come from the small woman.

"This place fits the wants and needs of the occupant. As times change, the needs and wants change, so every time I come back, it's a little different," he explained as he shut the door behind them and tossed his tunic on the couch.

"But it looked like you hadn't been here in a while," Lucy said, sliding her shoes off and taking a tour of the small home. "How does it look so clean and untouched?"

"Every once in a while, I come here when I get tired of hearing that asshole's voice," he started, walking into the kitchen. "My magic is what keeps it pristine."

"Why don't you just stay here and venture out when you're bored?" Lucy inquired, poking her head in one of the open doors in the hallway.

"I can only get here by teleportation, and it takes a lot of magic to teleport, especially to a location so remote," he explained. "It's gonna take me a few days to recharge the power I used to get us here. But it's not like we can stay anyway. We have to stop Salamander from destroying everything."

"Well, I guess a few days here isn't so bad," Lucy said to herself. She made her way back into the general living space and plopped down on the sectional. Even though she was finally free of Salamander, she still carried the weight of Levy's death on her shoulders. She couldn't help but feel like she was the cause. She could have prevented the whole several-year-long situation from happening, but at the time, she was very selfish and only thought of her own needs. She shunned herself internally; she was _still_ selfish, and her wrongdoings were bearing down on her as if she had cement blocks dragging her down to her slow but sure demise.

"You hungry?" Laxus asked, bringing her out of her dark thoughts.

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled, answering for her. "I didn't know angels ate, too," she mumbled.

"We don't need to, but I like to because I like the way certain things taste," he replied, digging around in various cupboards and pulling out ingredients to throw together. "What do you like?"

It'd been a while since she had an appetite, let alone a decent meal. For a few weeks now, or since Levy started hearing about her upcoming death, she barely ate, sometimes only having as little as an apple or two a day. She didn't want to eat, but she knew she had to, or she'd get sick.

"I'm not picky," she said, standing from the couch to sit on one of the stools at the island while he cooked. She propped her head up with her hand, her elbow on the counter as she watched Laxus put together what looked like some sort of pasta dish, her eyes watching him silently as he boiled water and prepped the spices.

"Actually," she said after a few minutes of silence. "Do you mind if I take a shower here?"

"You don't need to ask for permission," he said bluntly.

"Well, it _is_ your place, and all," she said sheepishly, hopping down from the stool. "Which door is it?"

"Second one on the right," he said, pointing a spoon in the general direction of the bathroom. He continued prepping as he heard her light footsteps descend down the hallway and into the bathroom. As he heard the door shut, he smirked at the sudden change of events in his life.

He'd been an angel for several hundred years, and a Fallen for maybe half that time. He was the type of person that liked to play by his own rules. He sucked at listening to others unless it was for his own personal gain, which he supposed was why he took an interest in the blonde girl's assistance. They were different and yet similar in so many ways. Not that being selfish was something to be proud of, it was just something he understood, and he could relate to some of her actions and responses.

He was pretty content with the way things were before Salamander found out about the 'spirit girl'. He and a handful of other Fallen lived in the bunker and pretty much had the town in the palm of their hands. They had full control of how much money businesses made and the town's food production. Of course, he knew that wasn't really the right thing to do, but he already fell, and he couldn't get back to Heaven or the spirit world, so he figured there was no reason for him to try and be good.

Once Salamander had his sights set on Levy, he'd began searching for ways to use her as a portal, at first to just leave Earth and live in the spirit world, but soon he discovered he could merge the two worlds into one. What he failed to realize, was that it would most likely destroy the world even further than it already was. In Laxus' mind, all worlds should stay separated. He firmly believed that it would disrupt the continuum, and all hell would break loose if any were to be combined.

He was just about finished cooking, as his thoughts kept him occupied the whole time. Sometime in the past few minutes, he'd failed to hear Lucy calling for him and was startled to see her wrapped in a blue towel when he turned around.

Lucy stood there with a towel wrapped around her body, her wet hair clinging to her face. "I was trying to ask you a question, but you didn't say anything," she said, slightly embarrassed about her current attire.

"S-Sorry," Laxus stuttered. "I was distracted."

"Well, I saw some clothes on one of the shelves in there, and I didn't know if I could borrow them or not, so I just wanted to ask," she said, looking everywhere but at him.

Laxus found himself staring longer than he should have been, leaving her question unanswered and lingering. It was weird. He hadn't been tongue-tied like this before, so he was unsure of how to react. He blinked a few times then continued to finish up the food. "This place is designed to fit the needs of each occupant, even you. Those clothes are yours," he managed to grunt out.

"Oh, thanks," she replied, her voice quiet as she scurried back to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, Lucy emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of black leggings and a white tee shirt that was a little damp because of her hair. She approached the island as Laxus gestured to one of the plates that were sitting atop it.

"Dig in," he said, picking up his plate and shoving a forkful of pasta into his mouth.

She sat at the island and mimicked his actions, happy to finally have a decent meal. As the two ate together, they talked and got to know one another, and over the course of a few hours, Lucy came to see that even though he was one of the Fallen, Laxus wasn't that bad a guy.

It was well into the evening, and it'd gotten dark. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach was heard through the open window in the living room. Laxus was sitting on the sectional, his feet kicked up on the coffee table while Lucy was on the cushion next to him, sitting cross-legged. They had been silent for a few minutes now and she was looking for any reason to keep the conversation going. "So," she started, looking at him with eager eyes. "What's the plan, Laxus?"

"I'm gonna recharge for a couple of days, but you're more than welcome to help yourself to anything here," he said, gathering the dirty plates.

"You're gonna sleep the whole time?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"No," he chuckled as he stood and took the plates to the kitchen. "But I am gonna sleep a lot of that time."

She turned around, sitting up on her knees with her hands on the back of the couch. "Then what?"

"Then, we go and find this roaming goblin so we can get to the talisman before Natsu does," he said as he rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher.

"Natsu?" Lucy said, confusion etched onto her face.

"Salamander, I meant," Laxus clarified. It slipped his mind that she only knew him as Salamander, and not his human name. "Natsu was his human name, and the name he first had when he came up to Heaven."

"Why does he go by Salamander now?" The woman asked.

"I dunno," Laxus shrugged. "All I know is he wasn't always like this. He actually used to be a decent person."

"Hmm," Lucy hummed to herself. "I wonder what changed him."

"Don't know, don't care. I just need to stop him, now," he said before making his descent down the hall. "Either of these two rooms you can sleep in."

Lucy watched as he disappeared into the first room on the right, leaving her alone with herself. She thought back to everything that'd just happened in such a short time span. She felt as though she didn't know one extreme from another, and she hoped to find peace of mind one day soon. _'Ha! Piece of mind! That won't happen as long as I'm with Laxus.'_ Even though she knew she could trust him for the time being, he was still one of the Fallen and she always had her guard up whenever it came to them. _'I just have to be on my toes at all times,'_ she thought to herself as she stood from the couch and picked an open room to claim for the next few days.

She opened the door, the light from the hallway the only illumination the room had, which was enough for her to find the bed, which was all she needed. She remembered the path to the bed and shut the door, now encased by darkness. After peeling off the outer layer of her clothing, she crawled into the bed, which was indeed as cozy as it looked, and closed her eyes, hoping to dream of a normal life.

* * *

**Three Months Later**

* * *

Gajeel was on Earth wandering around the outskirts of his old town hoping to come across any of the Fallen. Since he'd finally achieved his first goal of getting his talisman back, he moved on to his second goal; to find and eliminate the ass-wipes that ended his life and burned down his town. For three months, he'd been working jobs specific to that general part of the continent and wandering around in his free time.

"You're not going to wear your mask?"

Lily found Gajeel, who'd stopped to light a cigarette, and appeared next to him. It'd been a while since he stopped by the bar and he missed his friend. He also had something to run by him, so he figured he'd kill two birds with one stone.

"Why bother?" He asked with a flick of his cigarette. "I don't care if anyone sees me. Besides, there's no one out right now, and the thing is fuckin' ugly."

"You clearly don't look like a human," Lily replied, looking his friend up and down. Goblins had the ability to take the form of just about any living thing or modify their bodies in almost any way. Gajeel didn't really care to take on any other form, as he just opted to keep his human physique. He won't admit aloud that he made himself a bit taller, and as much as Lily wanted to poke fun at him for it, he just let him have that one.

"What're ya talkin' about, cat? I look like my human self!" Gajeel exclaimed dramatically, gesturing toward himself.

"You show me a seven-foot-tall human."

"Hey, they're out there," the dark-haired man said, brushing Lily's comments away and continuing down the sidewalk into town.

"It only takes one person to see you, Gajeel."

"Then what? What're they gonna do? _Kill me?"_ He laughed. Lily was always too cautious in Gajeel's book. They chatted briefly, catching up on current events in one another's lives when he stopped abruptly.

"What is it?" Lily asked, almost barreling into Gajeel due to the sudden stop.

"That definitely ain't a human, that's fer sure," he said, taking a drag.

Lily looked at Gajeel's line of sight, following it to the town's entrance, where a rather large man with spiky blond hair was speaking with what looked like a human girl. "I think you got what you were looking for, Gajeel."

"Shit, it's about fuckin' time, man. I was starting to think they all died off or somethin'."

"It isn't that easy to kill a fallen angel." Lily chimed in. "But it looks like he's talking to some human girl, so you shouldn't do anything too hasty."

"Tch." The goblin sucked his teeth, knowing the cat was right. "This guy looks like the type that likes ta cause trouble."

"You can't just go picking a fight with any Fallen you see, Gajeel. Who's to say he's the one who killed you?" Lily was always the one who thought rationally between the two, whereas Gajeel was always the one to fight first and ask questions later.

"And you, Lily," Gajeel said, pointing a finger at the cat. "Or did ya forget?"

"I hold no grudges," Lily replied calmly. "Fate has a job to do, and I suppose I was just part of it."

"I'm getting' real sick of this 'reaper with no feelings bullshit'," Gajeel said, stomping on his half-lit cigarette.

"I know ya hate those fuckers just like I do. They took everything important ta me and ta you. Yer tellin' me ya really don't give a fuck?" He _hated_ the fact that Lily didn't care about the whole thing. They took his family, him home, his life, and he didn't care? Gajeel couldn't wrap his head around that level of being unbothered.

"Not really," Lily said with a shrug. "I have what's important to me right here," he continued, patting his friend on the back.

"Tch. No mushy shit." Gajeel didn't really care to show emotions or to be on the receiving end of them either. Even when he was a human, he'd dated here and there, but it never got too serious due to his lack of emotion. His quick temper and his unapproachable look didn't help his case, either. He usually ended up scaring them off and eventually accepted the possibility of being alone forever.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something, Gajeel," Lily started.

"Oh, so ya didn't _really_ miss me?" The goblin joked.

"Very funny," the cat said sarcastically. "How do you feel about someone shadowing you while you work?"

"Gihi!" The goblin laughed. There was no way in hell he was going to work with someone. He didn't do well with others.

"I know you're against it but think about it. You've been specifically requested," Lily continued.

"Requested?" Gajeel said, lighting another cigarette as he glanced at the town's entrance. The angel and the girl were still there, which made him relax a bit. He at least knew he wasn't going to have to work too hard to get some information. "By who?"

"Well, you weren't requested by name, but the new guy asked to shadow the best contractor in the business. Naturally, that meant you," Lily explained.

"Well, I am flattered," Gajeel said, taking a long drag. "But I'm still gonna pass. I don't wanna be responsible fer anyone's fuckups."

"I think it'd be a good learning experience for you, Gajeel." Lily tried to convince his stubborn friend to take the opportunity. "You should come back to the bar and discuss this over a drink."

"What? Yer kidding," Gajeel said with a straight face, the lit cigarette hanging from his mouth. "Yer tellin' me that there's a fallen angel right in front of us, and ya want me ta 'come back ta the bar fer a drink'?"

"He's not causing anyone any trouble!" Lily turned to look at the two again. "It looks like he frequents this area so you can always just come back and wreak havoc if you please."

"Well, _you_ can head back," Gajeel said, shoving his free hand into his pocket. "I'm gonna stay and watch this fucker and make sure he doesn't try any funny business."

"Well, you know where I'll be," Lily sighed, knowing this was an argument that would end in a stalemate. "Just promise me you'll at least think about it."

"Yep," the dark-haired man said with a wave of his hand as Lily vanished.

Gajeel's focus was pointed back toward the fallen angel, who'd been conversing with the human girl for a few minutes now. By the looks of it, he didn't look hostile, but he still wanted to take no chances. All was going well so far; he was finally making progress in his search, and now all he had to do was a bit of interrogation. He contemplated, should he confront him now, or wait until it was completely dark out to avoid being seen? _'Fuck it,'_ he thought to himself as he proceeded to walk their direction.

* * *

It was early in the evening, and grey clouds were slowly covering the setting sun, making it darker than usual. Streetlamps flickered on one by one, illuminating the small town Laxus and Lucy ventured into. The town looked like it'd been through hell, yet there were still at least a few hundred people that lived there, most likely those who grew attached to the area.

As they approached the town, Laxus slowed his pace, eventually coming to a full stop just before the entrance. He felt a presence vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It didn't feel ominous, but it definitely was enough of a presence to make him stop in his tracks.

He turned around, Lucy trailing not too far behind him. She'd been following him around as he tracked down other angels, hoping it would lead him to the goblin. Laxus figured since they were tracking down the same thing, they'd run into each other sooner or later.

"Did you find something?" Lucy asked, standing next to him.

"I don't know," he grunted, trying to pinpoint the presence he felt, only for it to vanish when he found it again. _'Shit…'_

"I thought I felt something," he explained, running his hands through his hair. "I dunno what it was but it disappeared as soon as I focused on it. I guess I'm a bit rusty at this."

"An angel?" Lucy asked hopefully. As time progressed, she grew to want the same thing and tried her best to help in any way possible. Any sign of progress always made her feel like she was one step closer to their first goal of many.

"I think so," he replied as he glanced around, looking for anything out of place. A few seconds after the presence vanished, he sensed another one, several yards down the same path they'd taken to get into the city. It was different than the one he felt earlier, but if his intuition was right, it was the goblin he was looking for. _'Finally.'_

Lucy watched as he turned to face the direction they came from, fixated on something in the distance. "Laxus? What is it?"

"I think I may have finally found him," he replied, his focus still directed at something down the path.

"What? Where?" The blonde woman asked, looking around for any unsightly creature that resembled a goblin.

"It looks like he's taken on a human form," he said. "Wait here, I'm gonna go talk to him." He turned slightly to confront the goblin when he felt a hand on his arm.

"W-Wait!" Lucy stuttered, holding him back by his forearm. "What if he's hostile?"

Laxus turned around to face the blonde, seeing the concern on her face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" she let go of his arm and took a step back. "You know he's searching for his killer; he most likely has a problem with you all. Do you think he's just gonna be nice?"

She had a point. He'd been so consumed by his want to find him that he failed to realize that it may not go as smoothly as he wanted it to. Unfortunately, he was stubborn, and he saw his first opportunity in three months. He wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers.

"It's fine," he said, bending slightly and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Just wait here, I'll leave before it escalates— if it does."

Laxus vanished from next to Lucy and appeared where the goblin's presence was felt. He grit his teeth, his fists clenching. The goblin disappeared before he could even get to him, which pissed him off to no end, but maybe all wasn't lost. There was something strange from the disappearance. He felt the lingering magic of a fallen angel in the same spot the goblin was in. The power was familiar, as he knew only one angel who could use that type of magic, and given how quickly he'd vanished, he was probably knocked out and taken to the bunker.

"Fuck," Laxus muttered under his breath. "I can never catch a break."

He'd teleported back to Lucy who'd been standing in the same spot she was in when her partner in crime first left. He knew she wasn't going to agree with the idea of going back to the bunker, but he had no choice if he wanted to make any progress.

"You're back," she said, eager for an update. "What happened? Where is he?"

He looked at her, a serious look plastered on his face. "I need to go back."

"Eh?" She looked at him confusedly. "Back? Back where?"

"To the bunker."

"What?! Why?!" Lucy exclaimed. She thought he was insane for wanting to go back to the place that brought nothing but bad memories. "You know you can't go back there! He'll kill you!"

"He can't kill me," he replied. "Besides, I found our goblin."

"Okay, so what does the bunker have to do with him?" Lucy asked, frustrated that he wanted to go back to that God-awful place.

"Well, he _was_ over there," Laxus explained. "He most likely spotted me, but I think one of Salamander's guys got to him before I did."

"So, what does that mean? He's at the bunker?" Lucy asked, putting two and two together.

"I'm assuming so," Laxus sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair yet again. "But I have to get to him before they gain more info on the talisman."

"I-I can't go back there," Lucy stuttered, waving her hands frantically. "Who knows what he'll do to me!"

"I know, that's why I'm not bringing you with me," he stated cooly.

Lucy looked up at the man, not understanding at all what his intentions were. All she could do was trust that he'd be alright and make it back in one piece. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Just stay in town, I'll be back soon," he said, not really knowing how much truth was behind that statement. He would do anything to stop Salamander, no matter how long it took.

With those words, he vanished, leaving Lucy behind and not thinking twice about how she was going to come up with a way to survive while he was gone. _'Stay in town?' _How was she supposed to do that with no money? She'd been traveling with him the past few months and he always found arrangements somehow. Before him, she had her own living space in the bunker, but now that she was actively avoiding it, she didn't have a place she could really call home.

She ventured into the town, walking down the cobblestone streets as she shuddered internally at how dependent she'd become on him. She didn't have to worry about almost anything when he was around. When it was just her and Levy, they made due with what they had, and sometimes they struggled. Now, it was as if she forgot how to be independent.

She rubbed her arms, bare because it was warm earlier, but since the sun was setting, it began to get cold. She rounded a corner, looking for a café to sit in for the time being when she saw a familiar face headed her direction. She squinted, thinking she wasn't seeing clearly until they got closer.

"Luce!" The man exclaimed. "Long time, no see!"

Her eyes widened, not believing who she was seeing. "Loke?"

* * *

His red eyes opened slowly, adjusting to his new surroundings as he blinked away the blurriness that prevented him from seeing clearly. The first thing he noticed was how cold his body was. _'Ugh. What the fuck happened?' _He thought to himself as he went to rub his forehead to soothe the pounding headache that felt more like an injury than anything. He yanked his arm, unintentionally discovering that his arms were stretched out above his head, bound at the wrists by chains that were shackled to the ceiling.

"What the fuck?" He said aloud, realizing that his ankles were chained as well. He'd finally fully come to, and noticed he was underground, most likely a bunker of some sort, but he just didn't understand how or why. Anger started bubbling in his chest as he yanked as hard as he could on the chains with no avail, immediately getting violently shocked by them after attempting to break free. _'Fucking angels.'_

Gajeel was somewhat hurt from the electrocution, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He'd been in his fair share of altercations with angels and he'd been in worse situations as a human; it was going to take more than some 'shocking' to break him. He looked around, the room he was in tiny and completely barren. The dark grey concrete surrounded him, giving him flashbacks to when he got into trouble as a teenager, the cold cell an all too familiar space.

He tried to morph his body into a larger form, in an attempt to break the chains, but was again electrocuted when he tried to break free. He grunted in pain as the second charge surged through his body, actually causing pain that he considered extreme.

He sighed and hung his head low, his dark and unruly hair hanging past the sides of his face. _'How the hell did I end up in this situation?'_ Whoever captured him clearly knew what they were doing. They somehow got the drop on him while he was scoping out the angel and the girl, and they seemed versed enough in this grade of work, given the effort put into the chains he was bound by.

He gave it one last effort to use his strength to break free of the chains at the risk of being shocked again, which he indeed was, at an even greater intensity than the first two times. This time, it actually left small portions of his skin almost charred, the feeling of intense burning from the inside out being a bit much to handle.

"Fuck…" he growled to himself as the pain overtook his senses. He could probably break the chains if they didn't electrocute him every time he tried, but that last charge took any energy that he had out of him. He was pissed at himself for getting caught up like this, but he never thought he needed to keep his guard up. He jerked his head up at the sound of heavy footsteps stopping outside the door to his cell. He could only see the silhouette of a person through the small window in the door, unable to make out any details.

"Good. You're awake."


	6. Chapter 6

**Whew! That was a hefty first five chapters. As you can see, I'm laying some huge groundwork and I'm hoping to bring a bit of realism to the story. Not everyone is perfect, and no romance is a fairy tale. I wanted to test my writing skills in adding more detail and in writing realistic dialogue. I'm posting only chapter 6 right now to let you guys know I haven't left the story, and it's still alive and strong! I have chapters 7-10 written out as well, I just need to go back in and add the details that this story so desperately needs. thank you guys so much for the favs and follows so far, they keep me going! please comment your thoughts and opinions! I'd love to hear from you all! **

**(MORENOEL) **

**I'm so glad you like it so far! please, continue to read and tell me what you think! thank you for reading so quickly!**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)**

**I'm glad you like it also! Gajevy is my number one favorite ship hands down. I've honestly never thought of Laxus and Lucy being together until this story, and I guess I have to say it's pretty cool lol. I definitely don't see her with Natsu, that's for sure!**

**(DOOMMARINE55)**

**Don't like it, don't read it. You read the summary. No need to be a dick.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

His head hung low, his black hair hanging jagged past his face as the feeling of despair once again reared its ugly head in the depths of his mind. "Tch." He hated the feeling. A feeling he'd only felt two other times in his life. The first, when the Fallout occurred, and the second, being when he was brutally murdered by the Fallen. Why was it that those stupid angels were the reason behind those emotions each time? Feeling it a third only made the fire in him burn brighter, the fire that wanted to annihilate them all. The sound of heavy footsteps outside his cell brought him out of his thoughts, lifting his head and seeing a silhouette of a person in the small, barred window on the upper center of the cell door.

"Good. You're awake." A man's voice sounded, a baritone voice with a bit of an icy twinge to it. The cell door opened, the light from the space outside it pouring through causing Gajeel to squint, quickly trying to adjust to the sudden brightness that now flooded a portion of the room.

"I was beginning to think I overdid it, but it seems you're one tough goblin," the man spoke, stepping into the cell.

Gajeel scanned the figure, the details becoming clearer the closer he approached. The man was maybe six feet tall, with spiky black hair and droopy, dark blue eyes. He wore a navy blue coat with white trim on the ends of his sleeves, with matching navy gloves, and black pants that were tucked into a pair of black boots. He could easily pass for a human, but Gajeel was no fool; this man was clearly an angel, and one of the Fallen at that. His red eyes watched as the angel walked to stand maybe two feet in front of his hovering form.

"Where is it?" The man asked, his eyes narrowing in frustration. Things were not going his way at the moment, and this creature was the root of all of it. He watched as the goblin grit his teeth, seemingly getting angrier by the second.

Gajeel's blood was boiling at the thought of this skinny douchebag taking him down, never mind whatever the hell he was demanding from him. _'If I had the energy, I'd break these fuckin' chains and rip you apart limb by limb,'_ he thought to himself, his hands making fists in the chains.

"Nice thought," the man said, getting in the goblin's face. "Too bad you're in no condition to do so. Now, where is it?!" With those words, the man gripped Gajeel's face forcefully, his dark blue eyes piercing through his red ones like icicles.

Gajeel jerked his head to the side, effectively moving it out of the man's grasp. He'd be damned if he gave this guy the time of day. He spit in his face, causing the man to jolt back quickly, wiping his face with the sleeve of his coat. Did this guy really just spit in his face? Did he not know who or what he was dealing with?

"Fuck you," Gajeel growled, his hands tensing in the chains. He was itching to beat this brat's face in, but unfortunately, he was right, and couldn't do anything in the state he was currently in. He had no clue what it was he wanted from him, nor did he really care. Whatever it was, he wasn't getting it.

Gray Fullbuster was a fallen angel who worked for Salamander and just as badly wanted off Earth as his comrades did. He'd been tracking the talisman since he found out it resurfaced, only to eventually find out that a goblin had it, which threw a slight wrench into his plans. The damned goblin didn't spend all of his time on Earth, which meant he only had small windows to find him and capture him before he went back to the spirit world.

Today, he'd been scoping out another one of the Fallen that was just roaming around and was lucky enough to stumble across the goblin. He felt the presence of the talisman, but when he captured him, he no longer sensed it and it pissed him off to no end. Now, this _thing_ had the audacity to spit in his face, as if he could actually fight back. Seething, he looked up at the goblin who had a smirk on his face.

"Pretty fucking ballsy," Gray said as he removed the glove from his right hand and gripped it in his fist, delivering an uppercut to Gajeel's stomach, a trail of frost following his movements. It wasn't much of a blow, but the lingering effects would take care of any doubts in his attack.

Gajeel's body bucked, not from the force of the punch, but from the fact that he was hanging midair and couldn't brace himself. He'd expected retaliation, but it didn't even hurt! A wicked grin spread across his face, revealing his two large fangs. "Gotta do better than that."

Immediately after those regretful words left his mouth, he felt intense pain, a feeling similar to being branded from the inside out. What was happening? All he did was punch him in the stomach. Why did it hurt so damn much? Anguished grunts and deep bellowing was heard as the burning sensation became stronger the longer Gray kept his fist connected to his stomach. After a few more seconds of torture, he removed his fist and took a step back.

Gajeel's head now hung low, again, his blurred vision slowly clearing up as he saw his torso. _'What the…'_ An assortment of dark blacks and blues, with a little bit of purple now shown on his stomach; a section of skin now completely dead from being frozen solid, and it was beginning to feel like it was starting to take effect on his internal organs. _'Fuck… This could be problematic.'_ His body was able to regenerate cells pretty quickly on the outside, but the inside was another story, and he'd have to cross that bridge when he got there.

"You ready to answer me? 'Cause I have all the time in the world," Gray said, removing his other glove and shoving them in the pocket of his coat. He was confident that he'd get the goblin to give him the information that he wanted, and he was willing to do anything in his power to get to that point. Unfortunately, Gray was not a patient being, and the angrier he got, the more violent he got, so he started with one of his more damaging attacks to try and make it as quick as possible.

Gajeel lifted his head, slowly meeting the angel's icy stare with his burning one. He hated this. He hated feeling so damn weak. What was the point of being reborn to just go through the same thing caused by the same type of beings? He almost felt defeated, but he was strong. He refused to let this asshole win, even if he had to die again.

"Whatever ya want…" His lungs were partially frozen which made it hard for him to breathe or speak properly. His voice was raspy and weak, barely depicting how he felt.

"I don't have it… and if I did," he panted a few times, his breath now visible from the chill in his lungs. "I damn sure wouldn't give it ta the likes of _you_."

Gray couldn't believe what he was hearing. This goblin was clearly in no position to disobey, yet he still had the balls to do so and it aggravated him greatly. He clearly was going to have to beat some sense into this thing. He reacted almost instantly, punching Gajeel in the face, a trail of frost following his hands as he followed the first punch with a second, then a third.

"You're strong, right?" He grew angrier by the second, his hands continuing to throw punch after frigid punch.

"You can handle this, right?" He asked as his strikes gradually got harder while simultaneously freezing the bottom half of his face, and because of that, Gajeel's jaw was becoming numb. He was thankful for the steel bolts that were fashioned into his face, seemingly keeping his nose and jaw from completely shattering. A thought that was fleeting as he heard a loud crack from the final blow of Gray's fist. He groaned, blood leaking from his now broken nose and dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Gray took a step back, a scowl on his face. He didn't give a crap about the beaten-up goblin in front of him, hell, he was already dead. Why should he care what happened to him? As long as he got what he wanted out of it, he'd kill him if he had to. For now, he just needed information. This was as close as anyone had gotten in terms of getting the talisman back, and he wasn't going to just let his first and only source of information slip through his fingers. He just wanted to rough him up a bit. Anyone would soon break after this amount of torture, he just needed to wait.

"You'll be alright," he said, digging in the pocket of his coat and pulling out his gloves. Putting them back on, he turned around and started toward the cell door. He looked over his shoulder at the injured creature. "Goblins can heal pretty quick, right?"

It was a rhetorical question, as he stopped at the metal door, placing a hand on the handle. "I'll give you some time to recoup," he said, opening the door then looking at Gajeel over his shoulder. "But I _will_ be back, and you _will_ answer me."

With that, the cell door shut, leaving Gajeel to sit in the dark yet again.

* * *

She stood on the side of the road, the bluish-white fog cascading around her feet as she contemplated entering the bar that stood across the street. With her hair up in a messy bun, she was donned in all black, a habit she had when she was alive. It was a comfortable choice; it drew less attention to her, which was perfect because she wasn't really a people person, anyway. She wore a long, black shawl, with a black, short-sleeved tee-shirt underneath, with a pair of black, leather pants with silver zippers on the knees tucked into black utility boots that had iron chains hanging from the upper part of both shoes. She took a step forward, the humid breeze blowing wisps of her royal blue hair around her face. She didn't really want to stop anywhere, but it'd be a lie if she wasn't tired from all the travel. She'd been trudging around the spirit world for a little under a month, encountering all types of spirits that she was already familiar with, some good, some bad. She noticed it was almost barren, aside from the run-down shacks and living quarters she assumed were for those spirits that weren't roaming. There were a few small businesses that she passed by, but only enough to count on one hand. She'd been tired for a while, and there were two or three other places she could have stopped, but there was something urging her to keep going, and now whatever it was brought her here.

She'd been standing in the same spot for at least five minutes trying to figure out the reason behind being led to this bar in particular. She'd passed a few of them, none of which stood out, or gave much of an inviting vibe. This one, though plain and ordinary on the outside, was the most welcoming place she'd been by so far. She chalked it up to it just being the fact that her body was tired, and assumed it was letting her know she needed to rest and replenish her energy. She took another step toward the bar, then decided to turn away, immediately changing her mind.

"Forget it." She continued to her unknown destination, taking decently sized strides in an attempt to get to a decent resting place. _'I guess there aren't many decent places in the spirit world.' _As she passed the bar, she gave one final glance, before stopping in her tracks yet again. She'd spotted a familiar and comforting presence through the window of the bar, her previous confusion all starting to make sense.

She turned around, her decision-making skills not being as good as they were when she was alive, deciding again to stop in the bar. She crossed the street, somewhat relieved that she could now rest, even if it was for a few hours. She approached the large, wooden double doors and gently pushed them open, a wave of calmness washing over her as if this was where she _needed_ to be. For reasons unknown, of course, but who was she to deny fate? She stepped into the bar, noticing the warmth of the lighting and space around her. To her right was the bar, with black chairs lined up in a neat and organized fashion. To her left was the open space of the bar which had tables in the center of the room and booths along almost the entirety of the walls. Venturing further in, she picked the most appealing chair at the bar and plopped down, sighing heavily.

Lily heard the sound of the bar doors open, accompanied by quiet footsteps on the cheap, but clean carpet. He smiled warmly as she stepped in and looked around. He could tell she was a bit uneasy, given how long she'd stood out outside and contemplated coming inside, but who wouldn't be? He remembered the first few months after being reborn, and it was a very confusing time. He went from a simple house cat to a freaking human-sized grim reaper, he could only imagine how she felt. He watched as she plopped down in the same chair his goblin friend usually chose.

"Levy," he greeted, his warm smile a pleasant view. "Nice to see you again. I hope all has been well."

"Lily," she replied in a quiet voice. "It's nice seeing a familiar face."

"Likewise," he said, reaching under the counter. "What brings you to the spirit world?"

Lily was a bit surprised to see an angel in the spirit world. Sure, it happened from time to time, but no angel he knew would willingly spend time away from their safe haven. He supposed she was no ordinary angel; that fact he'd confirmed when he reaped her soul a few months ago. He scanned her attire, looking for anything out of the ordinary, or any small detail that would tell him why she was there, but found nothing… yet.

"I'm here for work," she replied cooly, watching the reaper pull a fancy looking glass from under the counter.

"Work?" He asked, baffled, a brow raised. _Now_ he was curious. What reason would an angel have for working? They had everything they could ever want and then some, and from what he heard, their own personalized Heaven. Why one would ever go out of their way to get to the spirit world was beyond him. He cleaned Gajeel's glass thoroughly as he was deep in thought, trying to come up with a valid reason for an angel to be in a desolate land.

"I know, I know," she said with a wave of her hand. She was used to getting strange looks and responses when she told people she was a working being.

"Crazy, right? 'Why would an angel like me need to work?' I don't _need_ to work, I _want_ to work." The words fell out of her mouth unexpectedly, as if she were defending herself. She usually didn't explain herself to anyone, but for the first time since she died, she felt… comfortable.

"I assume you have good reason to work," Lily offered, wanting her to know that this was a safe space. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"I like what I do," she mumbled, her eyes focused on her fumbling hands.

"That's all that matters… right?" She thought she was crazy for actually taking enjoyment in what she did, but the whole time she was alive, she lived for others, she lived for her parents, she lived in fear of the Fallen. She'd grown accustomed to a certain way of living, and a certain way of doing things, and now, she could do them freely, on her own accord. She wasn't _forced_ to do anything anymore.

Lily saw the wave of thoughts pass through her mind and wanted her to feel at ease; a feeling that he felt was foreign to her. He pulled a glass from the shelf behind him and poured a small shot, offering it to her. "Care to chat?"

"I don't drink, but I'll tell you about it," she said, standing from her chair and glancing around for a nearby booth to be more comfortable in.

She may not drink, but Lily did, and he felt he was going to need one for this conversation. He threw back her shot before pouring his own drink, then made his way around the bar. It wasn't often that someone he knew stopped by his bar, let alone an angel. He was looking forward to catching up with her and learning more about angels and how they truly operate. He followed her as she chose a booth that was tucked into one of the corners of the bar. Allowing her to sit first, she scooted in the seat, her shawl opening partly to reveal holsters on both her shoulders. Upon closer examination, he determined they were customized for melee weapons instead of guns. _'Interesting, indeed.'_

Some time passed and she'd told Lily about her reasoning for being there and what she did for 'work'. How she wasn't getting paid to do it but she does it on her own free will. They'd filled each other in on the things that happened between the time they were both reborn and now. She told him how she was looked at differently for her unusual decisions, and how she appreciated that Lily didn't judge her, only accepted her choices as her own. Each of those topics unintentionally sparking deep conversations about life and death.

"I must thank you, Levy," Lily said, nodding in appreciation. "I don't often get to have conversations like these. It's refreshing."

"I agree," the blue-haired angel replied, suppressing a yawn.

"Although, I go out of my way so that I don't have to speak to anyone, so that may be my fault," she said with a small laugh.

"Why don't you just teleport to your destination?" Lily wondered why she was even "roaming" in the first place. He, as a reaper, was able to teleport, and he used ability almost one hundred percent of the time. "I'm sure it would be a lot easier than traveling by foot."

"I don't really have the hang of it yet," she explained. "I need to have been there before, or I need exact coordinates to get there. I figure I have all the time in the world, so why not explore a little, right?"

"There's nothing to see in the spirit world," Lily stated.

"The longer I'm here, the more I believe it," she said, finally giving in to her urge to yawn.

"When was the last time you rested?" Lily asked, taking in the slight bags under her eyes and her sleepy demeanor. "You look tired."

"I don't sleep," she muttered. "I can't."

Again, the reaper was surprised. Most spirits he knew very much enjoyed their rest and would avoid doing anything until they were fully energized. "Want to talk about it?"

"I mean, I sleep, but barely," she said, waving her hand. "I know angels are supposed to sleep to gain back their magic, but my anxiety keeps me from getting decent rest."

"What do you think is the cause of your anxiety?" Lily asked.

"I feel like once I finish what I started, I'll finally be at peace," she said with a sigh. She really expected weight to lift from her shoulders after she died, but somehow, she felt even heavier. She put her elbow on the table, resting her head on her hand.

"Do you genuinely believe that?" Lily was really good at making people think about life decisions, and he did it so well, she almost had to rethink her whole game plan.

"I do," she stated firmly. "This is something that has tormented me since I was alive, and now, I feel like I actually have a chance to stop it."

Lily nodded, admiring her strength and tenacity when a thought popped into his head. _'Hm, I wonder…'_ He needed to figure something out, but to do so, he needed bait. He needed to keep her there. "I have extra space upstairs if you'd like to rest here for a while," he offered.

"You know, I actually might take you up on that," Levy said, suddenly relieved.

"This is the first time I've felt at ease; I'd be a fool to not act on it, right?" She said with a soft smile.

"I'm glad you're able to feel comfortable here," Lily said, sliding out of the booth. "Follow me, I'll take you to the room."

Levy scooted out of the booth and followed the reaper to the other side of the bar, where there was a black door with a sign that said "Not An Exit" in bold, red letters. The door immediately took them to a second floor that was essentially a short hallway with a door on each side.

"You're more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like," Lily said, opening the door on the left.

"Thank you, Lily," she said as she entered the room, the light flickering on after taking a few steps in.

The door shut behind her, leaving her to herself yet again. It was a normal feeling, and now that she didn't feel as anxious, she knew she'd get some decent sleep. Though, she couldn't help but wonder why she felt this way all of a sudden. Maybe it was because of the familiar face and his comforting presence, or maybe her body was just exhausted to the point where she'd sleep anywhere. _'Oh well, no use wasting time figuring out the impossible,' _she thought to herself as she glanced around the small room. There was a small bed graced with a black and red comforter and a small black nightstand next to the bed. She took off her shawl revealing her shoulder and thigh holsters before peeling those off as well, leaving her boots and pants left to take off as she crawled into the bed, drifting off into a deep slumber almost instantly.

* * *

Lucy slogged down the sidewalk, the brisk air sending chills through her body. She rounded a corner, her hands instinctively rubbing her upper arms in an attempt to make the goosebumps go away when she saw a man with spiky orange hair and light-blue tinted glasses walking her direction. She squinted, not believing what she saw before her.

"Luce!" The man exclaimed, walking toward her with open arms. "Long time, no see!"

"Loke?" She asked, her eyes widened in bewilderment.

"In the flesh," he said, almost jogging up to her and closing her in a large hug. "I've missed you, Lucy."

When Lucy first began working for Salamander, she was a depressed mess with no way out of a horrible situation, and one day, she stumbled across Loke, who just happened to be roaming around looking for other angels. They clicked instantly, and within the first few weeks of them meeting, they became almost inseparable. She returned his hug, his embrace a lot more comforting than she remembered. "I-I thought you were dead!"

"Nope, just stripped of my power and sent across Earth," he shrugged, finally pulling away from the blonde. "No biggie."

"No biggie?!" Lucy exclaimed. "What... how…?!"

"Come on," he said, grabbing her by the hand. "We've got some catching up to do. You hungry?"

Lucy nodded, unable to speak as a swirl of emotions ran through her head. For five years, she'd led a double life. She had Levy in one and Loke in the other, both being her best friends. Loke was the only one who knew about her double life, and he figured she could use a friend in both. For three years, he'd been the one she would vent to about things Levy couldn't know about, and the shoulder she could lean on when she felt she had no one.

He was one of the few Fallen she'd encountered that didn't work for Salamander and didn't have any ulterior motives, which made it easy for her to trust him as quickly as she did. As time progressed, they grew closer, but what they didn't know was that their friendship came with a price. Salamander eventually got wind of another angel hanging around his territory, and that didn't sit too well with him. Not only was he cozying up to Lucy, but he'd also been poking around the bunker for three years right under his nose. Immediately, he separated the two, and no one knew if he did it out of spite, or if he genuinely believed Loke was a threat to his plans. Whatever the reason, no one dared question him about it.

After a few minutes, she found herself standing in front of a café with Loke eagerly pulling her inside, the warm air a much-needed greeting. He stopped and turned, motioning to the open seating. "Your pick," he said, now following her to an open table in the center of the dining space.

"Wow, someone likes the spotlight," Loke joked as he sat in the seat across from his pretty companion. "You haven't changed a bit, huh?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, smirking as she didn't want to feed into his madness. "Shut it. You know it's not like that."

"If you say so, princess," he said with a wink. He loved toying with her; the reactions he got out of her were priceless. It reminded him of old times, and he was glad to finally be able to experience this again. He took in her annoyed, but amused expression, it taking everything in him not to laugh and mess with her more.

"Just laugh," she said as she crossed her arms across her chest. "I know you want to."

Loke gave a laugh that just barely bordered obnoxious, holding his stomach as if this were the funniest thing to ever happen. "You really are something else, huh, Luce?"

"I'm barely even reacting," she stated, matter-of-factly.

"Exactly! That's what's making it so funny! That you're trying so hard to not indulge!"

Sometimes, he was about as annoying as they come.

"You're lucky I actually miss you," she said as the waiter approached their table.

"Can I get you guys anything to drink?" The man pulled out a notepad and flipped it open, the smell of cigarette smoke wafting from his slight movements.

"Two coffees," Loke said before Lucy could say anything. "One black, and the other with cream and sugar please."

The man scribbled on the paper and shoved it in his pocket. "I'll get that started for you," he said, walking away.

"What if I wanted something other than coffee?" Lucy teased.

"You didn't." The orange-haired man said simply. "The only other thing you'd drink is tea, but that's more of a morning thing for you. You're weird like that."

Lucy was surprised that he remembered a small detail like that, and loved the fact that he seemed to pay attention to her habits and quirks, or, at least he used to. Though, he didn't really seem different than before, so that quality about him hadn't changed, right? Her eyes met his, and he smiled. She'd forgotten how warm his smile was, and it was a nice change. She was so used to Laxus hardly ever smiling or showing warmth, and she didn't know if it was something she could ever grow accustomed to. She was beginning to think he was permanently angry or something. She returned Loke's smile with her own, glad to at last have a moment where she could consider herself happy.

"How long has it been?" He sighed, a content look on his face.

She tilted her head up slightly, her index finger on her chin. She actually had to think about it. Working for Salamander for as long as she did, the days just started to become one long and depressing day. She eventually started to lose track of time, especially once he got rid of Loke. "Two years, I think."

"Wow," he grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Two full years without me, huh? How'd you manage?"

Once again, he was poking fun at her, causing a soft blush to form on her cheeks. She chuckled, that smug look on his face something she didn't know she missed until now. "Oh, hush. Not everything revolves around you, you know."

"Then, tell me," he said as he put both elbows on the table and clasped his hands together, resting his chin on his hands. "Still living a double life?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow. what a world we live in, right? I hope my beautiful readers are safely in quarantine and fully stocked on (i hope not toilet paper) food and supplies. Here in LA, we just went on lockdown so we can't leave the house unless it's a necessity. on the bright side, I work at Sprint, and they closed down the stores for two weeks and I'm getting paid for it! Call of duty and fanfics have been my past week lol. but I didn't forget about you all and I hope the story is getting somewhere for you. **

**I hope you are all in good health and haven't experienced any hardships from this 'historical event' as the higher-ups at my job like to call it.**

**ALICIACEVBRA: I'm forever grateful that you're waiting on the new chapters! I'm glad you're liking it so far and I hope you continue to like it!**

**MIZZREVIEWER: Thank you Thank you so much! It warms my heart to know that there's someone out there that thinks my fanfic is one of the best out there! that's what I strive for! please, keep reading!**

**GUEST(?): yes, yes, Lily is always up to something, isn't he? it doesn't get solved immediately in the next chapter, though but you'll see soon enough! Thank you for the compliment! I like to think my writing style is unique but also straightforward.**

**AND NOW I PRESENT TO YOU, CHAPTERS SEVEN THROUGH TEN. ENJOY.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven **

They sat in the center of the café, with nothing but empty tables surrounding them. The eatery didn't get many customers in the evening, given the neighborhood they were situated in, but it wasn't enough to keep him from showing Lucy the best coffee he'd ever had.

He ordered coffee for her as a reminder that he hadn't forgotten about her or the things she liked. His main goal was to finally win her over, but he wasn't sure how she would respond. A few years ago, all she did was keep him at arm's length, avoiding getting too close. All for good reason, he supposed. He _did_ get sent away when they were found out, but now, maybe things were different.

He joked and poked fun at her, getting the responses he wanted and missed. He wanted to ask about her life now, and how working for the universe's biggest douche was treating her. The only thing stopping him was the fact that he knew it was a sensitive subject for his dear blonde friend, and he didn't want to approach it too hastily. He needed an opening. He gave her one of his signature smiles and she smiled back, the lip gloss on her full lips giving a soft glimmer from the café lighting. He sighed, a content look on his face. "How long has it been?"

"Two years, I think," she said, her index finger on her chin as she thought.

Grinning, Loke leaned back in his chair, ready to push her buttons a bit more. "Wow, two full years without me, huh? How'd you manage?"

"Oh, hush," Lucy blushed, turning her head to look away from him. "Not everything revolves around you, you know."

This was it. This was his opening. He leaned forward, putting both elbows on the table as he clasped his hands together, resting his chin on his hands. "Then tell me," he said, a sly smile on his face. "Still living a double life?"

Her eyes widened, not expecting to talk about it so soon. Sure, it'd been almost four months since that whole fiasco, but it was still fresh in her mind as if it happened yesterday. Fumbling over her words, she averted her eyes to look anywhere but at Loke. "Well… um…"

Their waiter came back to their table. Setting both coffees down, along with a few creams and sugars. "Ready to order? Or do you need more time?"

"We need a few more minutes, thank you," the orange-haired man said, grabbing one of the coffee cups as the waiter walked away. He deftly put one cream and two sugars in the cup and stirred before picking it up and setting it gently in front of Lucy, who'd still been avoiding his gaze. He reached for her hand and took it in his, startling her out of whatever dark thoughts were going through her head. "It's okay, this is a safe space."

She knew it was a safe space, and she knew she could pretty much trust him with her life. Why she was so scared to speak on it, she didn't know. Maybe it was because it was never spoken about when she was with Laxus. The last time they talked about it was when he saved her. She guessed she didn't even know how raw it still was until Loke brought it up. He squeezed her hand, letting her know he was there, and would always be there for as long as she let him be.

"Well, I no longer work for him," she started, her voice quiet.

Shocked, he unintentionally pulled his hand back, his mouth agape. He remembered how awful it was when she tried to get out the first time, so he had a _lot_ of questions. "What? Since when?"

"It's been a little over three months," she said before taking a small sip of her coffee.

"What happened?" He now was practically leaning on the table, trying to snatch the answers from her mind until she shot him a dirty look, making him sit back down in his chair. She told him all about Salamander's past doings and how on that one fateful day, she found her best friend dead. She told him how she couldn't find the talisman on Levy's body and that's what caused an altercation in the first place. She told him how she was in trouble, and Laxus saved her, taking her far away from the bunker to this secluded island for a few days, and she told him how they've been traveling around ever since looking for a goblin who's said to have the information they were looking for.

Loke sat in silence as he processed every word she said. When she told him about this 'Laxus' character saving her, it annoyed him a bit, but he let it go, seeing that she was safe and unharmed. He went to speak when she asked a question, likely trying to change the subject.

"But what about you? Did you get your magic back?" She asked, polishing off the last of her coffee. She looked at the bottom of the mug, frowning as she didn't realize she'd drank all of it. _'It was really good,'_ she pouted internally.

"It eventually came back, but it took a long time," he sighed, leaning back and resting his arm on the back of his chair. "I ended up staying with a few others in some town on another continent."

"What brought you back?" She asked, a smirk forming on her lips. "Looking for little ol' me?"

Loke laughed, the Lucy he used to know returning to him. "I was just roaming, honestly. I don't really like change. Having to relearn some languages that I haven't spoken in hundreds of years is a bit stressful, so I decided to return to the continent that I knew. I found this little town and thought it was pretty homey, so I decided to set up shop here."

"How long have you been here?" She asked, rubbing her stomach. Though the coffee was delicious, it wasn't filling enough.

"I actually just got here a week ago, and I've been working on my place since," he replied, picking up on the soft growling of her stomach. "You ready to order?"

She nodded, and he flagged their waiter down to order food for her, which she didn't mind. He remembered what she liked to eat and she appreciated the nice gesture. Loke had always been this nice, so this was nothing new coming from him, but Laxus wasn't near as thoughtful. She could tell he didn't spend much time around humans. It was refreshing to be around someone who didn't only think of themselves.

"Have you spent a lot of time around people?" Lucy asked, out of the blue.

"That's random," he said, scrunching his nose. "But no, not really. Fallens are typically loners if they're not in small clusters. Why?"

"Well, you've always taken my needs into consideration, even though you don't need the same things I do," she explained. "Hanging around Laxus is way different. Sure, I don't go without when I'm with him, but a lot of the time I have to remind him that I actually _need_ food, or that I _need_ rest every day."

"This Laxus guy sounds pretty selfish," Loke said, a scoff escaping his lips.

"I guess so, but he's really not that bad a guy!" Lucy exclaimed, waving her hands. "He's actually trying to stop Salamander from supposedly destroying everything. I guess it just takes some time for him to get used to me."

After a bit, the waiter came back to their table and placed a plate of food in front of the woman. After asking if they needed anything else, he walked away, leaving Lucy to scarf her food down like a starving puppy. Loke chuckled as he watched the blonde eat as if she hadn't been fed in a week, amused. "Seems like you haven't changed much! Did you even taste it?"

"Shut up!" She said, a mouthful of food. "I was hungry!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said smiling, brushing her comment off. "You say that all the time."

"Well, I'm always hungry," she stated, shoving another forkful of food into her mouth.

"Geez," Loke said, now full-on grinning. "When was the last time you ate?"

Lucy was a little embarrassed; as long as she had freedom from Salamander, she relied on Laxus for literally everything, and she was tired of looking and feeling so damn helpless. She didn't really have a regular eating schedule, and the last thing she wanted to do was tell her only friend that she was pathetic.

"Earlier this morning," she admitted. "I'm lucky to eat twice a day with all the running around we do."

Of course, she altered the truth a bit, but who wants to tell their friend that they don't eat because they're too prideful to ask for food? When they don't earn anything on their own, and everything is given to them? They didn't really do much 'running around', and she would have the time to eat if she'd push her pride to the side. Unfortunately, Lucy was the type of person to not ask for anything unless she absolutely needed it, and even still, it was hard to do. Loke read the blonde's face, seeing much more than she was explaining. He knew she was vulnerable, and he wanted her to feel safe when she was with him. He wanted to be the shoulder for her to lean on. "What is it, Lucy?"

"Eh?" She forgot how intuitive he was, or maybe he was just reading her mind. If he was, she wasn't as annoyed as she was when Laxus did it. "You better not be reading my mind!"

"I know, I know. You hate that. I remember. But seriously, what's up?" He asked, wanting to get a serious answer out of her.

"It's just…" she paused, putting her fork down on her now empty plate. "I hate how dependent I've become since I stopped working."

"Hmm," he put his thumb and index finger to his chin, recalling her ethics from a few years ago. "You _were_ always super independent. But that's okay! There's nothing wrong with needing someone."

"I guess," she sighed. "I just feel like the things I'm depending on him for things I could get myself."

"Look, you said he specifically wanted you to help him stop this mess, right?" He asked, chewing on a toothpick and pointing at her as she nodded. "Then you're pretty much giving up your freedom to roam the Earth with him. The least he could do is take care of you."

Lucy didn't think of it in that aspect, and she didn't like to. Even so, she still felt helpless. Especially since he was now headed back to that god-awful place and she was supposed to fend for herself for the time being.

"Think of it like this," he said. "Would you rather be independent and working with Salamander, or dependent and free from his tyranny?"

"I mean, you're right, I guess," she said, fiddling with her fork. "But now he's left me to go back to that bunker! He said he found the goblin he was looking for but it got captured and taken to Salamander," she explained.

"And that's where he is right now?" Loke asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Yeah!" She nearly shouted. "And he told me to just 'stay in town' until he gets back. Who knows when that'll be! How am I supposed to fend for myself until he comes back? I could be waiting for weeks!"

"I've got an idea," the orange-haired man said, stopping her mid-rant. She needed to take a deep breath and relax, and he felt continuing to be cooped up in the small café wasn't helping. He threw a couple of bills on the table and stood abruptly, holding out his hand. "Come on."

She looked up at him in slight confusion, taking his hand timidly. Once he had a firm hold of her hand, he basically pulled her out of her chair, dragging her out of the café and down the sidewalk away from the building. She'd forgotten how energetic he was and honestly, it was a breath of fresh air. She missed hanging out with him and found herself reminiscing about their past shenanigans.

"Where are you dragging me?" She asked, slightly out of breath from how fast he was walking. "And why are you walking so fast?"

"He told you to stay in town, right?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at the blonde.

"Y-Yeah, but—"

"You can stay at my place until he comes back," the angel offered, speaking quickly to halt any protests he just knew she'd have. "It's not finished yet, but it's getting there."

"Loke, wait!" Lucy stopped in her tracks, the momentum of him moving forward causing her hand to be snatched back. She waited as he finally stopped several feet away and turned around to face her, a blank look on his face.

"This is what I'm talking about—"

In a few large strides, he closed the distance between the two and put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her mid-sentence. His intense gaze met her frustrated one as he gave her a soft smile. "Don't think about it too much. Just let a friend do something nice for another friend."

Lucy was stuck; at a loss for words. He always knew just what to say to make her worries dissipate, and even though she felt she was still being a leech, it was nice to know that for once, she had the reassurance that she wasn't. She nodded slowly, giving in to his offer to crash at his place for the time being. She at least knew she would be comfortable and the time would pass by quickly with all the catching up they had to do.

He turned around and continued walking, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's not too far from here."

The blonde followed reluctantly, eventually catching up to him. They walked side by side, talking mostly about what he did between getting sent to the other side of the world and now. After chatting with him for a bit, it started to feel like they didn't have a two-year gap in their friendship. Old feelings that they once had, whether friendly or romantic, were being reignited, and they both found themselves able to open up fully to one another once again. The thoughts of calling it quits with whatever she was doing with Laxus danced briefly across her mind as she eventually found herself at what she assumed was the town's old water tower.

"Here we are," Loke said, breaking her train of thought. They looked up, an old, grey metal tower shaped like a cylinder cone standing on four thick, metal rods. It had to at least be two hundred feet from the ground. "It's been empty for a while so I turned it into a little safe haven."

Lucy looked around, not seeing a ladder or any feasible way to the top of the tower. Temporarily forgetting he was also an angel, she frowned slightly. "How are we going to get up there?"

Her breath hitched as Loke suddenly snaked his arm around her waist and grinned, right before she was surrounded by a blinding white light and a sound similar to rushing water for about three seconds.

"That's how," he said, matter-of-factly.

She opened her eyes, not even realizing that they were shut, only to see that his arm was still snug around her body. Swatting him away, she took a step back to view the area around her. She noticed a pattern with angels; they definitely liked things on the fancier end. This particular angel was clearly fond of wooden furniture, and upon closer inspection, she'd noticed that it was handmade. _'So this is why it was taking him so long to fix up his place.'_

"Wow," Lucy said, taking her bag off and putting it on the floor against the wall. She continued to look around, amazed by the perfection in his work. "It must have taken a while to make all of this."

"It does take a bit longer," he said, walking over to his large bed to sit on the edge and kick his shoes off. "Since my magic is still recovering and all."

Lucy was still very impressed at the amount of detail that was put into the woodwork, and for him to craft at least five pieces of intricately carved furniture in a week's time? That was an amazing feat by itself. His ego swelled as he watched her look at his work in awe, remembering that she was pleased by the simple things. Smiling, he stood up and slipped into a pair of slippers and strolled up behind her, placing his hand gently on her hip. "My house is your house."

"The bathroom is over here, through this door," he grinned, moving out of her reach just before she could smack his hand away. He didn't miss the blush that crept onto her face caused by his actions, and it made him feel good that he had that effect on her.

"Sorry, I don't have a kitchen," he continued, "But I'll make sure you get some food to eat when you're hungry."

"That's fine," she nodded. Honestly, she was just glad to finally have someone to talk to and to have a roof over her head for the time being. She glanced around, realizing there was only one place to sleep, and that was his bed. She sighed internally, knowing she couldn't put him out of his space. Maybe she had a few things in her bag to create a pallet out of. She kneeled in front of her bag, taking out a few blankets and her favorite pillow and stood, glancing around for a suitable place to rest.

"What are you doing?" Loke asked, his voice laced with concern.

"There's only one bed," the blonde replied, deciding to set up under the window next to his bed.

"Yeah," he gestured toward the bed. "A large one!"

Lucy responded with a glare, resulting in a wide grin from the orange-haired angel. "Okay, okay! If you really want, I can just stay up and do something else. I don't need to sleep right now, anyway."

"I can't do that, Loke." Lucy said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "This is _your _space."

"Or," he drawled, plopping down on the bed next to her and heavily draping his arm around her shoulders. "You could just not be so stubborn and we could just _share_ the bed."

"Get off me!" She shouted, shaking away an unfazed Loke.

"Still as feisty as ever," he fell backward on the bed, staring at the metal, cone-shaped ceiling. "Love it."

Time rolled by as they caught up on each other's lives and rekindled the friendship they'd lost a couple of years ago as if they'd never been apart. They talked about what their short term and long term goals were, and how they were as content with their lives now as they could be. They talked about how life could have been if the Fallout hadn't occurred, and he even told her how he wanted so badly to get back to Heaven. It was something he'd never spoken aloud, and it felt good to finally let it out. After so long, she started to get tired and agreed to share the bed only if he kept his hands to himself.

"So, how do you and Laxus sleep?" Loke asked as he laid on his back next to her.

"He doesn't sleep much," she said, adjusting the blanket until she was comfortable, then laying on her side to face him. "Most of the time, he lets me sleep and does his own thing in town for a few hours."

She thought back to the embarrassing moment when she accidentally crawled into his bed the first night on the island a few months ago. She was exhausted and didn't remember which rooms he said were free. She'd simply picked the room easiest to get to and crashed as soon as her body hit the mattress. She hadn't realized it until morning when she woke up to a strong arm wrapped around her. She remembered feeling like her soul left her body as she tried to weasel her way out of his grip, which was easier than she thought since he slept like the dead. She blushed at the memories, wondering if he even knew it happened. _'If he does, he hasn't said a word about it,'_ and she prayed he never would.

"What's that face?" Loke asked as he saw the blush growing on her cheeks.

"Nothing! Just remembering something," she sputtered, hoping he wouldn't push the topic further. She wasn't that good a liar, and that was the _last_ thing she wanted to share with him.

"You're nervous about being in a bed with me, aren't you?" He asked, a cocky grin on his face.

"You're so full of yourself, Loke!" She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"But am I?"

It'd be a lie if Lucy said she didn't know that Loke had a crush on her, but she always kept him at a distance, not wanting to cross that barrier between friends and lovers. When she worked for Salamander, she already knew that once he found out she was hanging out with another Fallen, it wasn't going to pan over well, which proved to be true. At the time, she felt there was no point in getting closer to him just for him to be ripped away from her. Now, she no longer worked for that pink-haired fireball, and circumstances were different. What was stopping her now? Did she even like him that way? A question she never gave the time of day, but now she had the opportunity to.

Those thoughts put her into a deep lull, falling asleep unintentionally. Loke smirked as his blonde beauty dozed off, having been more tired than she anticipated. He rolled over on to his side to face her, eventually closing his eyes and joining her slumber with a soft smile on his lips. Things in his life were slowly going the way he planned, and he couldn't be any happier.

* * *

Gray walked through the corridors of the bunker, temporarily satisfied from the beating he just delivered to the ungodly creature he had in captivity. He wasn't like this in the beginning, hell, he supposed none of the Fallen were this aggressive at first. Just the constant nagging feeling that each one of them had to get back to Heaven was enough to make them crazy. On top of that, their essence, their power, the very thing that made them who they were, was now limited. They were supposed to have an unlimited surplus of power, but now they had to _sleep_ to actually gain their power back like they were lowly humans. The thought alone made him want to destroy the land even further and ruin the big guy's precious creation more, but for now, he settled for beating up a useless goblin. He rounded a corner, bumping into a skinny guy with long green hair.

"Damn it, Freed!" Gray shouted, stumbling back a few feet. "Watch where the hell you're goin' will ya?"

"My apologies, Gray," the tall angel said, going to walk away briskly when a chilled hand caught his forearm.

"What's the rush, mop-head?" The dark-haired angel asked. He eyed him carefully, knowing his associate was up to something.

"Oh, um…" Freed obviously knew what was happening, and he needed to get this guy off his tail before he caught on, but knowing him, he was going to catch on instantly. _'Unbelievable. What terrible timing.'_

"Spit it out," Gray demanded, his grip getting colder and colder.

_'There's no way out of this one. There's no way I can come up with a lie from the top of my head,'_ Freed thought to himself as he stammered over his words. "Well… you see… there's been a d-disturbance in the wardings…"

"Wardings?" Gray had to think for a few seconds to figure out why this asshat would need to ward anything when it finally clicked in place. His dark blue eyes met Freed's, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Don't worry, I got this," Gray said, slamming a hand down on his shoulder and squeezing to let him know not to interfere. He walked off, in the direction his comrade was headed in, his hands in his coat pockets. _'It's about time.'_

Laxus wasn't making any progress in his quest to get to his goblin. He'd used the last of his energy to teleport to the bunker only to realize it'd been warded specifically against him. He couldn't even get close to the building, let alone inside, and it infuriated him. The only thing he could do now was keep an eye on the building and wait until someone left. He scanned the area, looking for a place he deemed good enough to camp for the time being when he felt a familiar presence approaching. _'Fuck.'_

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here," a man's voice sounded from behind him.

"Gray," Laxus said, turning around. Just his luck. He just _knew_ that somehow he was wasting time coming back to this place. He should have expected no less from Salamander. The bunker was warded and he had watchdogs ready to alert him at any moment. What was the point, though? Salamander was incredibly powerful and didn't need anyone to be on the lookout for him. He had to only be doing this just to get a rise out of him. The worst part about this whole thing was he thought he'd at least be _inside_ the bunker before he got caught.

"Whatever you want, it's not here," the dark-haired man smirked, crossing his arms and taking a few steps forward to lean on a tree trunk. "Especially after your little spat with Salamander a few months ago."

"Trust me, the last place I want to be is _here_," the blond grunted.

"Then why _are_ you here?" Gray asked, a slightly condescending tone in his voice. "Ya here for your little fan club? Freed seemed awfully determined to get to you before I did."

Laxus rolled his eyes at the comment, not caring about the green-haired twerp. He'd always followed him around like a lost puppy, and he swore he was in love with him or something. He turned slightly, responding cooly, "No reason that concerns you."

Gray knew damn well why he was there, and he knew what he was looking for. Unfortunately for both of them, they were nowhere close to getting it. He knew that goblin wasn't going to talk, and his efforts were pointless, but that was something he decided to keep to himself.

"Well ya better get lost," he said firmly. He definitely didn't want to waste his energy on the behemoth before him and he hoped he'd leave peacefully. "Wouldn't want old Natsu to find out you were snooping around the bunker."

"Oh, no," Laxus mocked, waving his hands. "I'm scared. Whatever shall I do?"

"Cute," Gray snorted, unfolding his arms and standing to get in the blond man's face. "But don't get too cocky."

"Look, runt," Laxus glowered, facing him again. "I got business to handle, and you're getting in my way. I suggest you move."

Gray knew his fellow Fallen had a quick temper, and would most likely respond with brute force if pushed far enough. He even knew he was pretty strong without his power and could easily cause him a decent bit of harm, but he just couldn't help himself as a smug grin spread across his face. "Or what?"

In the blink of an eye, Laxus had Gray by his collar, just inches away from his face. "I'll pummel your droopy-eyed ass to the dirt and send you to the Underworld," he growled.

"With what magic?" Gray scoffed. "I know you wasted a good portion of it getting here."

"Tch." Laxus released his hold on the angel with a small shove, giving a few feet distance between them. He was right, he was just about out of power, and he knew Gray only said that to rile him up, but did he really want to waste what little energy he had left on beating this punk's face in? No, not really. Once he learned he couldn't get into the bunker, he knew his trek ended here. If the goblin couldn't provide the information they wanted, he was sure they would waste no time killing him. His only option now was to continue wandering and hope to run into another one. _'Highly unlikely,' _but what other option did he have? He couldn't get access to the spirit world, so he could only wait for spirits to come to Earth. He briefly thought about his travel companion, wondering if she was holding up without him for the time being.

"Leave, Laxus," Gray said, annoyed at the fact that he didn't get to poke at him a bit more.

Laxus contemplated staying in town for a bit longer, but he knew Gray wasn't going to leave until he knew for sure he was gone, and it wasn't like he could patrol the bunker with him on watch like this. The warding was apparently designed to let them know whenever he showed up or tried to get in, so this whole thing was pretty much pointless in his eyes.

"Fuck you, Gray," he finally said, turning and walking off. Now, he had to travel quite some distance to get back to the girl, who he hoped stayed in town as he requested. After a few minutes of walking, it dawned on him that he was going to have a hard time finding her. She wasn't an angel, so she didn't give off any magic to track down, and neither of them had a phone or any other way to get in contact with one another. _'This should be fun,' _he groaned internally. He felt it shouldn't be too hard; it was a small town, and he was sure she'd turn up eventually.


	8. Chapter 8

** Chapter Eight **

The skies were always a deep reddish-sepia, as if the atmosphere around it were in flames, dark clouds heavily contrasting against them. The land was a wasteland; buildings crumbled into sinkholes and craters, while high winds thick with dirt and debris were constant. Unsightly creatures, big and small, walked freely, tormenting doomed souls constantly as anguished screams and cries of torture could be heard from all around.

Somewhere underground, underneath all the mess, there sat an intricately carved cave that was maybe a few miles deep, ragged orange/red stone pillars lining the walls of the darkened space. Those same orangish-red stones littered the pathway to the end of the cave as a light layer of gravel on top of hard dirt. Along the path, there were thin cracks in the ground that glowed a bright orange; only a thin layer of dirt and rock keeping molten lava from breaching the surface. Aside from the many creatures the cave was home to, there lied something sinister at the very end of it.

He sat on his throne with his left elbow propped on his knee, his index and middle finger tapping his chin while deep in thought when the faint sound of rocks or pebbles being rolled across the ground pulled him from his thoughts. As his small, red eyes snapped to the location of the disturbance, an indistinct rumble left the pit of his stomach. The mere thought of being interrupted made his blood boil beyond belief, so whatever _thing_ decided to make its presence known better have something important to say.

He watched a small, grey creature, maybe the size of a football, crawl out of a crack in the wall on all fours and scurry up the back of his throne. The man grunted at the presence of the creature that had now perched itself on his right shoulder. For a few seconds, it hadn't said anything, and the man was getting annoyed. He sat upright, removing his elbow from his knee and rested it on the arm of his throne, his hands curling into fists as the creature still hadn't stated its reason for being there. "Ya got somethin' ta say?" His patience was thinning.

The creature scooted closer to the man as it whispered something in his ear then sat upright after a few seconds. The expression on the man's face turned sour, the information he was given not something he took too well. He let out a low and gravely growl, scaring the creature off his shoulder and onto the arm of his chair. Unfortunately for the creature, this man was already in a particularly bad mood for no real reason, and it was going to receive the brunt of it. He snatched the thing up by its neck and sent it to the ground with a thud.

He gripped the armrests, pushing himself up from his throne, his true size shown in a matter of seconds as he took one step off the platform and squashed the creature in the process. He looked down, scowling at the mess on his large, steel-toed boot. _'Piece of shit,' _he thought, kicking the corpse into the stone wall. He must have killed several of those things in a week's time, but it mattered none to him; there were hundreds of thousands, if not millions of those things roaming around.

With the news he'd just received, he needed to set his plans in motion while it wasn't a hassle to do so. The only thing was, he needed to contact someone he hadn't seen or spoken to in well over a decade. He glanced around, feeling for the sigil he'd engraved into a wall in one of the tunnels several years ago and strolled that direction, the sound of his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the cave. Other creatures similar to the one he'd previously killed dashed back into the various cracks and crevices the cave had to offer as they heard the man make his way through the space, scared for their own lives.

He was large, like a mountain of muscle, with arms that hung from his broad shoulders like threatening weapons. He was a little over seven feet tall and had jagged, jet-black hair that ran down his back just past his tailbone that accentuated his sharp facial features and swished along with his movements. He wore a dark-grey, sleeveless muscle shirt that was a bit tattered, and baggy black pants that were tucked into his black, leather boots.

After trolling through a few tunnels, he found his sigil, an unorthodox communication method specific only to his kind. He faced it, lifting an arm to put his palm flat on the center of the sigil as he closed his eyes and lowered his head. It'd been a while since he used one and had to concentrate deeply for it to work and be fully effective. After a few seconds, the symbol started to glow a bright red, indicating that it was ready to use.

_"My boy... It is time for us ta meet again. We have many things ta discuss, an' I want ya ta find me. I'd like ta see my son after so long."_

He kept his message short and simple, leaving code numbers behind in the message as well. Now all he could do was wait. There was no doubt in his mind that his son would show, it was just a matter of when. Now, he needed to contact one of his moles and put them to good use for the time being. He walked back to his throne as he summoned his desired contact, hoping she'd arrive quickly; he was not a patient man. Now that the ball was rolling, he was more than eager to have things his way, but for that to happen, several other things needed to fall into order beforehand.

"You've summoned me, sir?" A black, shadow-like sludge seeped through a few cracks in the walls, materializing into what appeared to be a humanoid creature. She was tall and slim, with wild, dark-purple hair and large, tan horns on her head. She had a half-circular symbol on her forehead with a small dot in the center, and several smaller dots surrounding the outside of it sitting in between her glowing yellow eyes. She was bare-chested, with intricate tattoos starting from her neck and ending at her upper hips. She had wing-like protrusions coming from the sides of her stilted legs that narrowed into sharp blades that served as feet.

The man gave her coordinates to a shantytown somewhere on Earth, a place where she could gather the intel he needed in a reasonable time frame. She'd spied for him before, so this should be an easy enough task for her. As long as she got this done quickly and efficiently, he would have no problems, and the last thing she wanted was another close brush with death. He was not a forgiving man.

* * *

His red, bloodshot eyes shot open, his chest heaving, catching a breath he didn't even know he was holding. His eyes darted around and realized he was still chained up in his underground cell. _'What the fuck was that?'_ To his knowledge, his father just came to him through his subconscious telling him to 'find him'? On any separate occasion, he'd have been thrilled to finally see his dad again after so long, but it was weird. He only heard the words spoken by his father, yet there was something evil or sinister underlying the message and it was like a punch to the gut. He always viewed his father as a good man— the _best _man, and he resented his mother and sister for the anger they held for him. He absolutely refused to associate him with anything negative. He was going to have to see it with his own eyes. He was jolted out of deep thought by a loud creaking noise, wincing as his eyes weren't ready for the sudden burst of bright light.

"Having fun in here?" Gray stepped into his cell and shut the door behind him. Luckily, Gajeel's eyes hadn't fully adjusted to the light so the now darkness was welcomed.

"If yer gonna kill me, just do it and get it over with before I break outta here and kill _you_ first," the goblin spat. He was completely over and done with this whole thing. He was either going to make it out alive or die by the hands of this douche, and if he made it out alive, this fucking dungeon was going to be the first to go down.

"You? Kill me?" Gray snorted, walking toward the hovering creature with a smirk. "Fat chance. Besides, why would I kill you when you have the information I need?"

"Look, I don't know what the fuck ya want from me— "

"Let me stop you right there," the angel interrupted, getting frustrated beyond belief. This stupid goblin was playing games with him as if he couldn't just end his life right then and there. But what would that solve? He definitely didn't want to explain to Salamander how he let his anger get the best of him again and ended up killing the only thing that could get them what they needed. He needed to stay level-headed. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm. "You had it, but now you don't. Where the hell is it?!"

Gajeel grit his teeth, keeping his mouth shut. The only thing he could imagine him wanting was the talisman, and as far as he knew, he had it hanging under his shirt around his neck. Now, this dick-head was telling him that he _didn't_ have it and that only angered him further. He thought for a few seconds, noting that if he did actually have the talisman, it most likely would have just been stolen back from him while he was unconscious. Instead, he was knocked out and then taken back to be interrogated. _'They wouldn't be questioning me if I actually had it.'_ He scoffed, knowing there was only one place it could be.

"Fuck off," Gajeel scowled, venom dripping from his voice.

Gray's face twitched, both in excitement to cause him more pain and in anger from him not cooperating. He removed his navy-blue gloves, shoving them in his pocket before taking off his coat. He was slim but muscular, and you could tell he worked out from time to time.

"Oh, I'll make you talk," he said as he disappeared behind the goblin, trails of frost following close behind.

"Tch. Ya gotta get nude ta beat me up, or somethin'?" Gajeel asked, annoyed that he couldn't see what the angel was doing behind him. Instantly, his chest felt really cold, almost constricting his breathing. He exhaled sharply, his breath visible from his lungs being near frozen.

"I may have overdone it," Gray said, coming back around to face his victim. "But, it'll do."

He threw his coat to the ground as he reached around his back to pull out what Gajeel assumed was a weapon. "Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Either way, they're both fun for me."

Gajeel refused to give him the time of day. Why should he? No matter what he did, he obviously was going to get tortured, so why give this guy what he wanted? All he knew was once he got out of there, this asshole was the second one on his list. For now, he stayed quiet with a scowl plastered on his face.

"Not gonna talk, huh?" Gray asked, amused that the goblin would still not cooperate. _'Oh well. More fun for me.'_

The red-eyed man watched as the angel drew closer with what looked like a hammer, and before his brain could register what was happening, the tool made sudden contact with a few of his lower left ribs, their chilled state causing them to shatter upon impact. He groaned loudly, pain thick in his voice as he instinctively went to place his hand on the affected area, only to be shocked by the chains for attempting to move too much.

"Nice, a twofer," Gray smirked, taking a step back to see the goblin's body go limp. It amused him that he couldn't tend to his injuries without getting hurt even further. Who knew? Maybe he'd be stupid enough to completely fry himself. _'Nope, can't think like that. I need him alive.' _Instead, he just opted to make fun with the creature's pain. "Too bad you can't move your arms."

Gajeel could barely breathe in his current state. A small part of him thanked the douchebag for almost freezing him beforehand, as it was likely the reason he felt so numb. He knew, though, that once he defrosted, the pain would be unbearable, but was this enough to break him? _'Fuck no.'_ He still wasn't telling him anything.

"Ready to talk?" Gray asked, inching closer to his face.

"Bite… me…" the goblin uttered, his voice weakened from the electrical surge he'd previously experienced.

"You're really startin' to piss me off," the angel said, gearing up his hammer to smash the bottom right side next. He didn't even think as he swung again, getting the same result as before, but this time Gajeel was smart and didn't give in to the will to yank his arm down to his injury.

Blood trickled out of his mouth as his head hung low, groaning again, this time a more painful sounding groan, almost like a cry. Every fiber of his being just wanted to go berserk and rip himself free from the chains, but given his current afflictions, he wasn't too sure he'd stay conscious after another electrocution. What had he done to deserve this? He wasn't exactly a good human, but he wasn't bad either. Sure, he'd gotten into his fair share of trouble, but what rowdy teenage boy who's father just up and disappeared wouldn't? He recollected on his life so far as a goblin and having to kill those poor people, most of them innocent. Maybe this was his karma. Of course, he wasn't about to stop making a living for himself just because of a little bit of torture. This only made him want to kill some more, no fucks given. If other beings didn't care about the feelings of others, then why should he? He watched as the angel tossed the hammer between his hands, ready to swing a bit more.

"Kneecaps next? Or are you gonna—" Gray began thinking of other torture methods as a phone call interrupted him. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, checking the caller ID. He looked up at the goblin and grinned evilly.

"Looks like you've lucked out for now," he said before putting the phone to his ear and exiting the cell.

Gajeel was relieved that the torture was over for now, though, he knew that eventually, the bastard would return to do more damage, if not only for his coat. He glanced at the ground, looking at the discarded fabric as he tuned into his thoughts. For whatever reason, the droopy-eyed asshole limited his external torment and focused solely on harming him internally, as if he _knew_ he couldn't heal those injuries as quickly. It was only a matter of time before his body went into senselessness, forcing him into recovery mode.

As the chill started to wear off, the pain increased gradually, resulting in a few sharp pains in his sides. The pain caused him to jerk suddenly, his unanticipated movement causing the magic in the chains to activate once again, shocking him at a higher intensity than earlier. He almost roared as the surge charged through his body, leaving more charred marks on his skin. He was sure the electrocution was doing some internal damage by now, but he couldn't tell it apart from the pain from his smashed ribs.

This was beginning to wear on him, as it was too much on his body at one time. He was having a hard time healing himself, and he chalked it up to not having proper rest and being in a shitty environment. He also hadn't been this badly beaten before, so he was unsure of how long it would take him to fully heal. Sure, he'd trained rigorously for a few months, but only in hand to hand and melee combat. He never thought he'd be put in a situation like this, and to be honest, he felt stupid for that reason. He was a goblin, living in the spirit world with a lot of other creatures and unrest spirits. Not all were good spirits, either. Anything could happen with him being a spirit now, and he kicked himself for being so naïve.

He didn't know how long he'd been alone in that cell again, though he was certain he'd been gone for at least a full day. _'Not that I have anyone ta worry about me aside from Lily.'_ Which brought him back to the thoughts of his father. Where had he been for so long? Why was he just now reaching out to him? He was obviously dead, and he needed to know how and why. Why did he get an ominous vibe from his message, and what were those numbers he saw? How was he supposed to 'find him'? The only thing he knew for sure, was that he needed to talk to someone about it, but who? He decided to run it by Lily and see what the cat could come up with, but he had to get out of the bunker before he was able to do anything. After however long, he found himself drifting in and out of consciousness, eventually giving in to his body's dire need for rest.

* * *

Lucy slept in his large bed, only her forehead and her messy blonde hair poking from the top of the comforter. The morning sunlight shone through the window of the tower, kissing her skin gracefully as loose strands of her hair blew with each exhale. It had been a while since she got rest this decent, and she never wanted it to end. Unfortunately for her, Loke was up and at 'em, ready to start their day. He sat his coffee down and stood from his small table, strolling over to the bed as a grin plastered itself on his face.

"Rise and shine, Blondie!" He chirped cheerfully, yanking the curtains open a bit further to let more light in.

Lucy whined at the sudden light that shined through her eyelids, pulling the comforter fully over her head. She'd forgotten how much of a morning person he was, and it could be a bit overwhelming sometimes. She was so warm and so comfortable, she internally cursed the orange-haired angel for disturbing her even though she knew it was all in good spirit. _'Too bad for him, I'm not getting up!'_ She tucked herself deeper into the comforter, hoping he'd catch the hint.

"Come on, Luce, I know you're hungry," he said with a soft voice, tugging gently at the cover.

"Go away," she groaned, her stomach rumbling in acknowledgment of his mentioning of food. She blushed, hoping he didn't hear her body's agreement with his proposal. _'Fat chance._'

Loke simply chuckled at her stubbornness. He remembered how much of a morning person she _wasn't_, and loved poking fun at her inability to function properly. He watched as she shuffled under the cover, a foot poking from one end. Hatching a devious plan, he reached forward, grabbing her ankle and locking it in his arm, tickling the bottom of her foot rigorously.

"Loke!" She thrashed a bit, laughing while plotting his demise at the same time. After several seconds of torture, she gained enough control to shove him away with as much force she could muster, causing the orange-haired man to fall on his ass. He was one hundred percent she was awake now.

She sat up slowly, the comforter slowly rolling off her body and into a clump on her lap. She glared at him with a huff, murder in her eyes. It took everything in him not to keel over laughing. She didn't look intimidating in the least with sleep still in her eyes and her hair a disheveled mess. He pushed himself off the floor, not able to hold back his cheeky smile as he offered her a hand up from the bed. She continued to glare, her brown eyes darting between his hand and his annoying face. "Do you _wanna_ die?"

"Lucy," he started, barely containing his laughter as he plopped down next to her and threw an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, get dressed. We gotta get you some food."

She reluctantly let him help her out of the bed and usher her into the bathroom. It was definitely a change of pace being with Loke. He was always ready to go on some adventure and drag her along with. Although, she couldn't say she didn't have fun, even if he had this odd habit of making her wake up early. She wondered what he had planned for the day for a few minutes before her thoughts drifted back to Laxus. Suddenly, she felt she had to make a decision. There was a part of her that knew she couldn't give her time to both Laxus _and_ Loke. She wanted to save the world, or at least try her damnedest to prevent further chaos, but that was such a depressing life. Not to mention she had to spend it with a selfish prick. She would much rather spend her time having fun and forgetting about all the nonsense, but she also felt like she needed to avenge Levy. Salamander absolutely _needed_ to be stopped, and she felt that she and Laxus were the ones who could do it. _'If only he were nicer…'_

Loke waited patiently while she showered and got dressed. Lucy had always taken forever to get ready, and it always made him scratch his head. What could women possibly be doing that takes them so long to get ready? Twenty minutes or so pass when she emerges, wearing a blue tank top with spaghetti straps and jean shorts that stopped at her upper thigh. Slipping into a pair of black sandals, she pulled her hair up into a bun and grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. "Alright, I'm ready."

He looked her over, a small red creeping onto his face. She was beautiful, with long legs and a slim waist, and who could miss that rack? He shook those thoughts aside, his eyes meeting her chocolate ones. God, did he love her eyes. Everything about her was perfect, except for the bag she had thrown over her back. His brow furrowed, frowning at the sight.

"You gonna bring your bag?" He asked, gesturing questioningly toward it. He didn't like it. It made him feel like they were going to separate again and it was a shitty feeling.

"Well, yeah," she mumbled, averting her eyes.

"I assume Laxus is going to come back for me soon and I want him to be able to find me." She thought for a few seconds, realizing she already subconsciously made the decision to stick with Laxus. She couldn't live in a fairy tail and keep a clear conscience. That wasn't realistic. But, she also didn't want to up and tell Loke what her thoughts were. The least she could do was give both Loke and herself a few days of happiness.

"Just leave it here!" Loke said, taking notice of her sudden deep thought. "We can always come back for it. The place I wanna take you isn't far from here, anyway."

Lucy thought to herself for a second as he gently took the bag from her. She figured he was right. If she just so happened to run into Laxus today, she could always just come back and retrieve her belongings; she didn't really feel like lugging that bag around with her anyway. She honestly didn't even think she'd see Laxus anytime soon. She just hoped that wherever he was, he was okay. _'What am I getting worried for? Of course he's okay. He promised me he'd come back if he felt things were getting bad.'_

"I guess you're right," she said, quickly pulling herself together. Right now, it was about her and Loke. She forced herself not to think too much about the issue at hand and to have fun and enjoy her temporary freedom. She needed to savor this time. "Let's go."

Loke held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. She reached out, only to be pulled by her wrist into his body. Through his glasses, he watched her cheeks turn pink as her hands were planted on his chest, his arm now wrapped around her waist.

"L-Loke!" She fumbled over her words as she barely tried to put some semblance of distance between them and failing.

He traced a few stray strands of her blonde hair behind her ear, his thumb and index finger coming to rest on her chin. Grinning, he asked, "how else are we gonna get down, Shortcake?"

"Oh… right," he heard her mutter. He knew the effect he had on her and loved the reaction each time. Maybe soon, he could get her to finally take down that wall and let him in. She needed a break, and he knew he was the one who could provide that. All he needed to do was a little convincing.

"You ready?" He asked, looking down at the woman he had in his arms as she nodded before a bright light nearly blinded her for a few seconds. She opened her eyes to see that they were now on the ground, standing under the tower.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to that," she said with a small laugh.

"It comes with time," Loke said, finally releasing his hold on her waist. Instead, he held her hand, tugging her toward the center of town. If he had his way, he'd make her forget about that 'Laxus' guy and keep her to himself. He certainly took her presence for granted and knew for a fact that she could do better. But did she know that? It was _his_ job to tell her. It was _his_ job to make her see that he was the one she needed, not someone who didn't even care if she ate or not. Just the thought alone angered him, but he had to keep calm; she was a grown woman and could make decisions for herself. Now, _how_ she came to that decision was something he was going to play a factor in, but how? Does he take the time to gain her trust? Does he even have time to do it? Just like she said before, Laxus could come back at any moment and she'd be gone, just like that. He needed to prevent that.


	9. Chapter 9

** Chapter Nine **

"Have you ever been to this town?" Loke asked as he led his blonde friend down the path and around the corner. He decided to take her to this tiny, mom-and-pop breakfast nook a few blocks away from the tower.

Lucy thought back to the times before she worked for Salamander, and the time she spent backpacking with Levy after the Fallout. She didn't think she'd been to this town in particular, but she knew for certain that she had been to a town nearby. If she could recall, that's where Levy came across the talisman. "No, but I've been to the next town over."

"Eh, I stopped through, it wasn't that great," he shrugged. "That's why I skipped over it and came to this place."

Eventually, he came to a stop outside a quaint eatery and stopped to face her, admiring how her bangs flew gently in the breeze, and how the morning sunlight gave her skin a golden glow. He was quite excited to have brought her there. In his mind, he considered this a date. He wondered if she considered it the same. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his eyes eagerly watching hers.

Lucy took note of how happy he seemed to be to have brought her here, and it was a bit infectious. She smiled as he squeezed her hand and pulled her inside, greeted by a calming and somewhat homey atmosphere. The building was made from deep red brick, with black accents to give it more of a rustic look. There were plants situated nicely against in corners and hanging from the ceiling, and large windows that let in a lot of natural light. He took her to a booth that was next to a large window, offering a decent view of the plants on the outside of the café. She sat down first, seeing he was letting her pick the side she wanted, with him sitting on the opposite side.

"This is pretty fancy," she started, a pink blush slowly appearing on her face. She averted her eyes, focusing on anything _but_ Loke, which did not go unnoticed by him. "Do you bring girls here all the time?"

A chuckle escaped his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his booth bench. Was she _jealous?_ This was the first time she'd said anything of that nature, and it was a nice feeling. He wanted to milk this for as long as he could, but he could see her obvious shyness. "I haven't been here that long, remember?"

Lucy's face reddened, remembering he'd only been here for a week, and a lot of that time he spent working on his place. Her eyes darted around, looking for words to fill the awkward silence that she'd been the culprit of. She didn't know what possessed her to even say that. It wasn't as if she had romantic feelings for him or anything. She just missed the attention she got from him. Now that they'd been reunited, it was like old times, minus the sneaking around.

"I saw this spot on my way into town last week and I thought it looked interesting. I don't eat, though, so I never had a reason to stop in," he explained, enjoying the fidgety blonde in front of him.

"Right! I was just kidding," she said, waving her hands for emphasis. The absolute _last_ thing she wanted was to give him the wrong idea. As good as he made her feel, and as well as he treated her, she just couldn't see herself with him in that way. The thing she did love, was his friendship. She told him everything, and as far as she knew, it was vice versa. She knew she would always find a home with Loke, but he wanted more, and she wasn't sure she could give him exactly what he wanted.

"Luce," Loke said, a serious look on his face. "Are you jealous?"

She frowned, immediately kicking him in the shin under the table, making him yelp and burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he laughed, out of breath as he clutched his sides. "I couldn't help it!"

"What would I possibly be jealous of?" She asked, waving a finger in his direction. She knew he said the things he did on purpose, but she just couldn't help but react strongly. Part of her wished he'd just treat her as his friend, and nothing more, but the other, much bigger part of her wanted to feel wanted, and Loke was the best at that.

"Don't worry, gorgeous," he grinned, putting his elbow on the table and resting his head in his hand.

"You're the only one for me," he said, almost dreamily. He meant those words. Ever since he laid eyes on her, he'd wanted her in more ways than one. Not because it'd been a while since he'd gotten any action, but because they had so many things in common, and they got along so well. It caused an internal conflict within him a few times. He wondered if he wanted her because he was lonely, or if he had genuine feelings for her, and being apart for two years then reuniting only confirmed the feelings he was skeptical of.

"Loke! Stop it!" She exclaimed, swatting at his arm. Steam practically rolled from her ears as she frantically tried to hush him. _'Why do you say things like that?'_

"Because it's true," he said, still grinning as a woman walked up to their table. She looked normal at first glance, but the longer she made her presence known, the more her differences became noticeable. She had pale skin that looked almost scaly, and long, dark purple hair that she kept tied back in a ponytail. She had eyes that matched her hair which were somewhat covered by her bangs.

"Hello," the woman said, placing menus down in front of them. "My name is Seilah, and I'll be your server today. Can I get you guys started with anything?"

"Coffee, black, for me and green tea for the lady," Loke said, a stupid grin still on his face. All Lucy could do was roll her eyes at his antics, his boldness never ceasing to amaze her.

Seilah scribbled in her notepad and swung it shut with a smile. "I'll be right back with your drinks," she said before walking off.

"You know what?" Loke said, finally turning his attention to something else and opening the large menu. "I think I'm actually going to eat today. Do you know what you're getting?"

"I think I'll have pancakes." Lucy beamed, enjoying life for the first time in a while. She couldn't recall many happy times when she worked for the Fallen, and she didn't really have any specific instances that stood out the most during her time with Laxus. He wasn't much of a talker, so she felt like it was impossible for her to get to know him, _let alone _him taking the time and effort to get to know her. He'd always tell her what they were doing, and never once stopped to ask what she wanted to do for the day. _'I mean, why is this whole thing my problem?' _At the same time, she knew exactly what she was getting into, and she knew there was no time to play around. It wasn't like they were doing anything too strenuous. She played around in her thoughts as her eyes fixated on a plant on the other side of the window. A part of her continued contemplating seriously about telling the bossy blond she no longer wanted to roam around Earth with him.

"Then why don't you?" Loke's voice startled her out of her thoughts, causing her to pout. She hated it when he read her mind. One would think they would be able to escape and find solitude in their mind, but with this particular angel, seclusion was impossible. He always made it so blatantly obvious too, and was never ashamed about it. At least Laxus never did that, as far as she knew. She sighed, knowing scolding him would be pointless.

"Seriously, Luce," he said again as Seilah returned to their table, setting coffee and tea in front of their designated owners. She dug in the pocket of her apron, pulling out her notepad when Lucy swore she saw a weird marking on her forehead, but quickly dismissed the thought as a figment of her imagination. _'Must be her bangs.'_

"You guys ready to order?" She asked, her pen scrawling on the notepad as the spritely, orange-haired man ordered for them both yet again. She had a feeling she was interrupting an important conversation, so she wanted to take their orders quickly and leave them be.

"I think you should do it," he said encouragingly, handing the waitress their menus before watching her walk off. "Then we can hang out again just like old times!"

"I… I don't think I'd feel right doing that," she mumbled, her hands clasped around her warm cup of tea and her eyes locked on the rippling, green liquid. "I mean, he _did_ rescue me and all."

"Hmm, I can see how you feel that way, but overall, shouldn't you do what makes you happy?" Loke asked, taking a sip of his coffee. "Didn't you say you were tired of being so dependent? I can help you get on your feet and, you know, get a job and be on your own if that's what you wanted."

The idea sounded enticing, but Lucy knew helping Laxus was likely the only thing that would keep her conscience clear. She couldn't just frolic around while the Earth fell further into destruction. She was given the opportunity to help prevent that, and she'd be damned if she didn't take it. She just detested the fact that she had to spend most, if not all of her time with someone she wasn't even sure enjoyed her company. _'Who knows? Maybe I'll grow on him eventually. I just wish he was more…'_ Her thoughts trailed as she realized she hadn't responded to an eager-eyed Loke.

"Loke," she started, putting her cup down with a sigh. "I can't just make a decision like that on a whim."

"Why not?" He frowned, his question bringing her own frown forth on her face. He could be the most annoying thing sometimes.

"You said it yourself, 'he's pretty selfish'. Why would you want to spend all of your time with him?" He was beginning to get frustrated. He knew for a fact that this woman was going to choose the selfish prick over him, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why she would ever do such a thing.

"It's not about him, or how he acts, or his personality. It's about preventing chaos!" Lucy didn't raise her voice often, but she'd gotten a bit flustered; she hated being pressured. He just didn't seem to get it. She was trying to be a good person! She so desperately _needed_ to do this and Loke was trying to stop her. She loved him with all her heart, but she couldn't very well sacrifice everyone and everything over some rendezvous that may not even be a good idea in the long run.

"Look, I don't know what repentance you think you need, but you don't have to go through it alone!" Loke countered, getting almost as flustered as she was.

"I'm _not _alone!" The blonde continued. "I might be doing this with a self-centered asshole, but at least we're actually trying to change the world!"

Loke pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing deeply and shaking his head. "Have you ever stopped to think that _maybe_ _I_ could help you do whatever it is you're set on?" he asked, reaching across the table and taking her hand in his.

"You know I only mean well, and I just want to do what makes you happy. If saving the world puts a smile on your face, or makes you feel at ease, then I'll make it happen." His voice was a bit softer now, but the grip he had on her hand was firm.

He watched as a look of annoyance crossed her face. The last thing he wanted to do was make her angrier and run her _into_ the arms of that bastard. He gave a soft smile as he pulled his hand back. "I'm sorry, Lucy. We can talk about something else. I just want you to be comfortable."

"Thanks, I appreciate that," she replied, relieved that the conversation was over for now. Tension was high and gradually faded away as time progressed. The waitress brought their food and they mostly ate in silence until Loke couldn't take the cold shoulder anymore. He began poking fun at her from time to time just to get those reactions he loved and sure enough, she was back to her old self. They talked about other things, largely trivial, for a while before he excused himself to pay the bill.

Lucy watched as Loke approached the register. She took the few minutes of free time to think freely and get her ducks in a row. _'I never would have thought I wouldn't even be able to keep my thoughts to myself.'_ She scoffed, remembering simpler times. Early morning cartoons and cereal. Movie nights with Levy. Angels and goblins? Myths that had yet to gain purchase in the real world. Did she hate her life now for knowing the truth? Or did she take everything as an opportunity at another chance? When she noticed she'd been in deep thought longer than she should have been able to, her chocolate eyes scanned the front of the restaurant, looking for Loke. She watched as he gave the server the money for the bill, speaking to her with such ease as if they'd been friends for a while.

Lucy waited patiently for a few minutes, her eyes lighting up when he came back to their table. "Ready?" He asked, extending a hand.

"Where to, now?" The woman asked, taking his hand and sliding out of the booth.

"Well," he sighed, leading her out of the café and into the warmth. It was a nice contrast to the chilled air they were just in. "I wanted to see a movie, but apparently this whole town was burned down a year and a half ago, so some things are still under construction."

"I bet," Lucy replied, starting to stroll down the sidewalk. The town looked like it got hit during the Fallout, and for them to get hit again? They probably didn't have the funds to get things rebuilt _again _in a timely manner. "That's fine, all movies are reruns anyway."

Loke skipped a few steps to catch up with his tall friend, linking arms with her as they walked.

"So," she said, a saucy grin on her face. "You know the waitress, huh?"

"Huh?" He looked at her, confused.

"You guys seemed pretty friendly back there," the blonde joked, poking fun at him for once.

"Oh, Seilah? I was just telling her she was a great waitress," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I just gave her a good tip, that's all."

"Relaaax," Lucy giggled. "I'm only messing with you! No need to get all nervous."

Lucy now understood why he enjoyed pushing her buttons so much; it was really fun to make someone uncomfortable. She almost felt bad before she saw him sweating bullets. _'So there's a reason he came to this town,'_ she smirked internally. "So when's the wedding?"

Loke stopped and unhooked his arm from hers, clearly unamused by her jokes. "You clearly misheard me when I said I only have eyes for you."

Lucy blushed a deep crimson, wanting to change the subject quickly. _'How did we get here? I was trying to steer him away from his… his… whatever it is he has for me, not make it grow deeper!'_ She facepalmed, trying to come up with a way out of this conversation.

"Since we can't go see a movie, what else did you have in mind?" She asked, looking around for nearby things to do. "Maybe we can just walk around?"

"I guess there's a decent park close to the tower. Wanna walk around there?" He offered, pointing in the general direction of the park.

"Sure, why not?" Lucy let him take her hand again for the millionth time that day and lead her to the park. A part of her felt guilty for letting her thoughts roam back to Laxus, but she couldn't help it! As much as she hated how he was sometimes, she still cared about his well-being. They'd spent quite a bit of time together, so it was only natural for her to worry about him, right? He'd always been so reckless and wouldn't really give much thought into his actions before he did them. She could only imagine what nonsense he'd gotten himself into with his carelessness.

"There's a bench over there," Loke said, motioning to the area on the other side of the path. Lucy hadn't even realized they'd made it to the park already. Just how consumed with Laxus was she?

They sat at a bench under a cherry blossom tree, the pink petals fluttering down slowly onto the ground around them. She'd always taken a liking to these trees. How they stand strong and somewhat tall. How the petals stand out anywhere they are. How the flowers smell when they finally bloom. She loved it all. _'It's a shame I'll only be able to enjoy this for a little bit longer. Lord knows Laxus doesn't take the time to stop and smell the roses.'_

She placed her hands on the bench, gripping the edge as she swung her feet. As much as she enjoyed peace and quiet, there was something deafening about this silence. Why was it so heavy this time? There were plenty of times when they didn't speak, only enjoyed each other's company. What was so different about this time? She needed to say something, anything to break the newly formed ice. She turned her head to face him. "What are your plans after this?"

"I suppose it's only a matter of time before he comes back, huh?" He sighed, stretching his legs. "I haven't really thought of that. To be honest, I didn't expect to see you, so I might just continue doing what I was doing before."

"I see," Lucy said, fiddling with her hands.

"But I gotta say, Luce. It's gonna be hard."

She gave him a soft, yet genuine smile, not having the words to comfort him. She knew it probably wasn't going to be the last time they saw each other, so she always had a little bit of happiness to look forward to. They sat in silence for a few minutes before she noticed he began to fidget, as if he suddenly needed to move, but she paid no mind. Maybe he was tired of sitting for so long.

Suddenly, he stood, glancing around as if he were looking for something. "Gimme a sec, I need to make a call," he said before excusing himself and walking off a considerable distance.

"What the hell was that all about?" She asked under her breath. She watched, slightly jealous as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. It had been a while since she had a phone, and it was an old flip one, at that. A few years after the Fallout, she and Levy decided to ditch theirs and go off the grid. A choice she sometimes wishes she made differently. She slumped down in the bench, her head resting on the back of it.

"Hey, Luce," Loke said, appearing next to her and causing the poor girl to nearly jump out of her skin. "Do you mind if we go back to the tower? I think I need to rest a bit."

She sensed a slight bit of urgency in his voice and didn't think too much of it. She figured he hadn't gotten much rest in the past day or so and needed to finally take a break. She shrugged and stood from the bench, following him to the tower.

* * *

It had been almost a full day, and Laxus finally made it back to the town he left Lucy in. _'Who the hell is that?'_ Strolling through the entrance, he felt the same presence that he felt the day before when they first arrived. He noticed the trail of energy the presence left and decided to track it down, hoping it would lead him to the girl.

He ventured deeper into town, the drain on his energy finally wearing on him as he found himself at a decent looking café. _'I could really use a drink.'_ Entering the small space, the first thing he noticed was a pale woman with dark purple hair and an odd marking on her forehead similar to a horseshoe. It looked like she'd attempted to cover it up, but her bangs were pushed to the side, probably out of habit. As he approached, she gave him a vibe he didn't quite like, but he let it be, as she didn't seem to be causing any problems.

"Just one, today?" She asked, walking up to him with a menu.

"I'm not staying," he said, looking around for anything out of ordinary. "I'm just checking things out."

The woman frowned, putting a hand on her hip. "Well, this area is for customers only."

"Lady, kindly fuck off," he spat, flipping her off and turning to leave the establishment. Who the hell did she think she was, going off at the mouth like that to him? He was already annoyed and agitated, the last thing he wanted to deal with was a complete stranger's attitude.

He trudged through a nearby neighborhood still following the trail of energy that was left not too long ago. Since the trail took him to a dead-end at the restaurant, he took back to the streets, the trail directing him north until he reached a decent sized park. _'Where are you…?'_ His head swiveled, scanning every area until he finally found what it was.

"What the fuck is this?" He grumbled under his breath when he spotted his travel companion next to an orange-haired asshole who seemed to be a little close for comfort. He watched silently as he thought of a way to approach them when the four-eyed freak stood and walked away. _'What the hell are you up to?'_ Laxus watched the man take a phone call and wondered why he looked antsy all of a sudden. _'I should go and get her before she winds up in her own trouble,'_ but before he could make any moves, the man ended the call and walked back over to Lucy, who then stood and walked off with him.

Laxus stayed behind for a bit until he figured he was a decent enough distance to trail them, following them to an old, poorly-warded water tower. _'So this is where you've been hiding, huh? But why is she with you?' _He grit his teeth, his hands curling into fists when he saw the man put his hand around her waist and disappear up into the tower. He picked a tree and leaned against the trunk, not wanting to just barge in without reason. Well, he _did_ want to just 'barge in', but he didn't want to start any mess, especially with the possibility of Lucy getting caught in the middle of it all. For the first time, he thought rationally. "I guess now, I wait."

* * *

Hours had gone by and neither of them made another appearance, which left Laxus thinking the worst. He was almost certain that guy was up to no good, he just couldn't prove it. He also wondered why she was getting friendly with another fallen angel. _'Tch. The dick is probably using his fucking pretty boy charms to convince her he's on her side,' _and having known the girl for a few months now, she was probably falling for it.

"Fuck." He let his head slam back on the trunk of the tree, causing a few leaves to fall to the ground around him. The slight pain released a tiny bit of frustration that he was a lot grateful for. He was so damn annoyed not knowing what was going on. In the back of his mind, he didn't even know if he could fully trust her. She seemed so comfortable gallivanting around with angels, she probably didn't even care what it was that came out of her mouth. He was almost certain she told him what they were doing, and that only meant he had something new to watch his back for.

He was beginning to get restless; he needed to move around to keep his mind off things until she showed. He'd been out there for hours waiting for either of them to show, and maybe thirty minutes or so after he started getting restless, the man appeared at the bottom of the tower, with Lucy nowhere to be found. _'So, he's keeping her up there? What a dick.'_

Loke walked away, and Laxus took this as an opportunity to go and collect what was his, and drag her as far away from that asshole as possible. _'Wait. What's mine?'_ He shook his head at the thought, not even understanding why he'd even come up with a thought like that. Instead, he used what little energy he had to teleport to the top of the tower, where he found a napping blonde. _'Pfft. Some wardings.'_ He briefly looked around, locating all her belongings as he almost stomped over to the bed.

"Wake up, Heartfilia," he said, yanking the cover off her body. "It's time to go."

"Laaxxuuussssss," she whined, her body innately curling into itself for warmth. This one seemed to have a habit of yanking covers from her when he wanted her awake, and it was _not_ a habit she was fond of. Finally realizing the situation, her eyes popped open, seeing a tall, muscular blond standing next to the bed in front of her. "Laxus?"

"Come on. Grab your stuff," he ordered, grabbing her bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

"H-How did you find me?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and slowly hoisting her upper body from the bed. She was still half asleep and very confused. Happy, but confused.

"Don't worry about it, just hurry up and let's go."

Lucy huffed, annoyed that she never seemed to be able to wake up on her own accord. What was with these angels and their assertiveness? She swung her feet to the side of the bed, sitting on the edge as Laxus quickly gathered her things.

"Wait a minute! I don't want to leave just yet!" She exclaimed, not understanding why he was in such a hurry. She at least wanted to say goodbye to Loke. After all, she never did get a proper goodbye the first time. "Is someone following you or something?"

"Something like that," he said, sighing and running a hand through his short hair. "Now let's go before I pick you up and take you away myself."

"Laxu—" She went to protest a bit more when he marched over to her and nearly yanked her off the bed and into his free arm, temporarily blinded until she found herself outside, barefoot in the middle of nowhere.

"You can't just do that!" She yelled, shoving herself back a few feet away from him as he dropped the bags to the ground. "What if I didn't want to go?!"

Laxus stood there, a blank look on his face. "Too bad. That guy's no good."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" She shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "Loke is my friend!"

The angel laughed, a condescending laugh that got on her nerves. "Do you really know who _Loke_ is? He's not on your side." He stated, crossing his arms over his chest as if he was the 'know-it-all of the universe'.

"What do you know?" Lucy asked, venom in her feminine voice. "He was my best friend from a few years ago! He was the only one I could truly be honest around!"

"I don't trust that guy," Laxus said calmly. "I don't think you should hang around him."

"You know what?" Lucy sneered. "He was right! You are a self-centered being who doesn't care about anyone else or what they want! You literally have no real reason to dislike him! At least he cares about my needs and wants what's best for me!"

Laxus stood there as she continued to berate him, not having experienced this in several hundred years. He had to admit, he missed having a woman around who cared enough to yell at him. Aside from that, she spoke nothing but the blatant truth. He _was _a selfish person, and he definitely didn't think too much about her or her needs. He wanted to try and change that. The last thing he wanted was for her to run off with 'Loke'. He looked her up and down, noticing he'd grabbed her up without giving her a chance to put her shoes on. He groaned internally; he could have at least let her say 'bye' to the guy. _'I mean, it's already bad enough she's running off with me.'_ He supposed a small part of him just wanted to add insult to injury.

"Are you even listening to me?" She asked, a hand on her hip.

"This is what I was talking about!" She continued. "Do you even like having me around? Or do you just want to control me?"

He winced, those words having struck a chord somewhere in him. To be honest, he hadn't thought about that. He didn't want to control her in any way, shape, or form. He was only trying to get her on his side. It started out with him only wanting her help, but after some time, he grew to… enjoy her company. Unfortunately, expressing those thoughts were incredibly hard for him, and he was now in a situation where he _had_ to, because, as it turns out, he absolutely _hated_ when she was mad at him.

"Tch. Do I need to spell it out for you?" He asked gruffly. For a second, he watched as confusion flashed across her face. He reached out, grabbing her by the forearm and pulling her into his body before she had a chance to respond. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

Her body collided softly into his, her cheek pressed against his chest. She had to admit, she felt much safer, and a hell of a lot more secure in his arms than she did in Loke's. She blushed as one of his hands rubbed gentle circles on her lower back. "L-Laxus?" She craned her neck up to meet his electrifying blue gaze, not knowing what to say, or if she could even form words. This was the first time he'd hugged her, and she was certain this was more than just a hug. More of like a response.

He moved one of his hands up to the nape of her neck, gently pushing her head back against his chest. Resting his head on hers, he inhaled deeply, taking in a faint flowery scent that all but assaulted his senses. He never knew she smelled that good, and it was that moment that he realized that it wasn't such a bad idea to get closer to her. It was that moment that he realized she was the most important thing to him he had in a very long time, and it was that moment that he realized _she_ needed to know that.

"I'm sorry," he said, just loud enough for her to barely hear. "I'll do better."


	10. Chapter 10

** Chapter Ten **

It'd been two days since Lily heard from his goblin friend and he was starting to worry. When he tried contacting him, he found it out of the ordinary that he hadn't responded with some snarky comment about how much he was bothering him like he usually would. Even though it wasn't often that Gajeel got into trouble, he still checked in with Lily periodically unless something serious was happening. They always had each other's backs, because in the end, they only had each other, and it bothered Lily to no end that he didn't know what was going on. He even had a feeling something unpleasant was going to happen, and every fiber of his being led him to believe that his hunch was right. _'I'm sure Gajeel will get himself out of whatever he got himself into. There isn't anything worrying will solve.'_ Lily knew a lot, but he didn't know everything. All he could do was hope he was alright.

He sighed, finishing up one of his many cleaning tasks for the bar. As he swept, his thoughts went back to the last time he saw Gajeel, wishing he would have just come back to the bar as he'd suggested. He had another job lined up for him and was eager for him to take it for numerous reasons. The particular thought led him to remember about Levy, who was still asleep in his spare room upstairs and had been since she showed up almost two days ago. _'She must have been exhausted.' _It wasn't uncommon for angels to sleep for long periods of time to regain their energy, as the more energy they consumed, the longer they needed to rest.

Lily was beat; he decided to close down the bar for a few days before deep cleaning it so he wouldn't have to do it when he reopened. In the past few days, he took several jobs to distract him from the goblin that went missing in action, and didn't rest much between. He figured, the more he kept his mind occupied, the faster time would pass and the faster Gajeel would show up. So far, his methods were for naught as he felt as if time was actually slowing down. He shuffled around, closing all the blinds and making sure all the chairs were put away neatly before locking the door and turning off the lights when he heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle pulling into the lot. "Well, I'll be," he muttered to himself as he moved back to the front of the bar to unlock the door.

Lily barely had time to jump back as the door slammed open, just narrowly missing him. His eyes widened a bit at the sight of a beaten up Gajeel, who staggered inside, slightly hunched over with an arm holding his front and a scowl on his face. He looked a mess, with dark bags under his eyes and patches of burnt skin that seemed to be scattered across his whole body from the looks of it. His nose was crooked and had dried blood caked around his nostrils, and his jaw looked like it had been unhinged and was a bit swollen. Lily took a step to the side, letting his injured friend pass by when Gajeel stopped in front of him, anger on his face. He held out a hand, not budging until Lily gave him what was his.

Lily looked at him, taken aback by the severity of his friend's injuries. He hadn't seen him this beaten up in quite some time, and that only meant his hunch was right. He glanced down at Gajeel's extended hand, knowing he only wanted one thing. Digging in the pocket of his dark green pants, he pulled the talisman out and put it in his hand, only for it to be snatched by the goblin and shoved into his own pocket. Grunting, Gajeel shuffled past the reaper to lean on the counter. "Drink." His voice was raspy and low as he struggled to even speak.

Lily frowned at his friend's rudeness by habit, knowing it wasn't directed toward him. Still standing by the door, he flipped the light switch, illuminating the bar as he locked the doors again to prevent any patrons from showing up. He still planned on closing up for a bit to get some rest, although now, he was relieved that Gajeel was alive and well… maybe not _well,_ but he was alive, and he knew he'd be able to sleep better because of that. He made his way to the back of the counter and pulled out his favorite glass, pouring him a larger drink than usual then sliding the glass his direction. "I assume it was a good thing I took it from you."

"Don't wanna talk about it," the goblin spoke, downing his double shot and pushing himself off the counter with great effort. He turned around, groaning as a sharp pain struck him in his left side, causing him to hold his torso as if it would keep his broken ribs from somehow falling apart even further. He could feel Lily's concerned eyes watching him as he slowly made his way to one of the booths in the corner of the bar and slumped down on the cushion, stretching out as much as he could in the small, couch-like chair. Resting his arm on his forehead, he let out a small breath of relief. "I'm gonna rest here fer a bit."

"Alright," Lily said warily, eyeing him a bit more. He had no problem with Gajeel taking time to recover in the bar. It was most likely the safest place he could be, but what he didn't understand was how he could possibly have been comfortable laying in the booth like that. With him fully stretched out, his calfs hung over the side of the bench, and he was going to be there for at least three or four days. He didn't really know the full extent of his injuries, but they were clearly extreme. _'Why he didn't just go home is beyond me.'_ Lily padded over to the door that led him to his living space and shut the lights off again. Before disappearing upstairs, he glanced at the goblin. "Just make sure you lock up if you happen to leave before I open back up."

Gajeel gave a weak 'thumbs up' in response to the reaper's request and just laid there, his body in a world of pain that he knew would go away in about a week's time. He needed to sleep. He wanted to sleep until he had no recollection of the events that just transpired. _'I was fuckin' kidnapped, fer fuck's sake!'_ He was a bit embarrassed to even conjure up that statement in his mind, let alone speak it aloud. He was fairly certain that Lily could piece two and two together; thank God he wouldn't have to explain it to him. He was just glad to have made it out of there.

Thinking back to his escape not too long ago, all he knew was that in one moment, he'd blacked out from all the rib smashing and electrocution, and the next moment, he'd woken up with his cheek pressed on the cold concrete floor. He remembered seeing the broken chains he assumed was from holding his weight for two days. Upon further inspection, he realized they'd somehow rusted. He wondered what from, and maybe thought it was condensation from all the icy air that angel gave off.

He remembered how he scolded himself internally for wasting precious time wondering about something trivial when he should have been trying to escape. He'd freed himself from the portion of the chains that were still wrapped around his wrists, continuing down to his ankles as the pain in his abdomen began to be unbearable. It was the intense pain that ultimately prevented him from going crazy and finding the asshole that did this to him, which left him the only option to find a way out of there unnoticed, which was no easy task. Somehow, he managed to get out of the bunker without getting caught, and then find his way back to his bike.

The journey to his bike was a treacherous one, the bike ride being much worse. He remembered, or rather, his body remembered every turn, every bump, every vibration, every crack he drove over that occurred on his ride, all of which seemed to exacerbate his pain. Once he made it back into the spirit world, he sighed a breath of relief as he drove a few more minutes to Lily's bar. He would have gone home, but there was something he needed to retrieve from the damned cat. _'Always meddlin' in someone's business.'_ He pinched his brow, the pain in his nose bringing him out of his thoughts and back to reality. Grimacing, he pulled the talisman out of his pocket, holding it above his face.

"What's so damn special about this fuckin' thing that everybody wants it?" He growled, studying it for the millionth time, still not finding anything that screamed 'take me'. He wondered if Lily knew anything about it, or if he'd be able to help him decipher that weirdly vivid dream he had of his father. _'That cat has ta know somethin'. He clearly knew somethin' was gonna go down since he took this stupid thing from me.' _He formed a fist around the talisman, gritting his teeth in annoyance. He was in so much pain, and he was so confused about almost everything else that seemed to revolve around him. How did his father get in contact with him? How was he supposed to find him? What's the deal with this hunk of iron? If it was so important, why did _he_ have it? He shoved the talisman back into his pocket and closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep like the dead for a few days. Thank goodness for Lily letting him crash in his bar for a while. He wasn't sure if he would have been able to stay conscious for a bumpy ride back to his place.

* * *

The warmth he felt was like none other. A full body warmth that he'd never experienced before, yet wanted to hold onto forever. He emerged from a deep sleep, his eyes still closed as he was not yet fully awake. The warmness he felt continued, and grew stronger the more conscious he became. He didn't plan on opening his eyes anytime soon because he knew whatever he was feeling was all fabricated in a dream of his; there was no way he'd be this comfortable in a booth at Lily's bar. However, the more awake and aware he became, the more he began to realize that he wasn't dreaming, and the warmth he was feeling was _very _real. He slowly opened his eyes, wanting to get a peek at his surroundings when he saw the unexpected before him. _'What the holy hell…?'_ He let his eyes flutter closed again as the warmth took over all his senses.

What he saw before him was a petite, beautiful, blue-haired woman kneeling on the bed next to him. He didn't need to look at her for long to know exactly who she was, but the question was, did she know who _he _was? The thoughts left his head when he noticed her tiny hands gently splayed across his abdomen with a soft white light coming from them. He opened his eyes again, staring up at the all too familiar ceiling of his bedroom under heavy lids. _'How did I get here?' _He retraced his steps. The last thing he remembered was crashing at Lily's bar, and now he was in his bed, being healed by the very woman he killed. The very woman that inflicted those strange feelings on him that same day. The very woman who stole his talisman and relinquished it back the day of her death. He took a deep breath as realization hit him. _'Lily was right.'_ He ended his train of thought when he noticed the warmth dissipating. On instinct, he went to sit up, only to be stopped by those tiny hands on his abs that seemed to be pushing him back down.

"Wait! You can't move yet," came a beautiful voice, the voice that was in his dreams for quite some time. The voice that was so soothing, he barely registered the pain of her pushing him back down. He groaned slightly as he fell back to his pillow, his mind running a million miles a minute.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to add to your injuries," she said sheepishly. "I'm just trying to help…"

He was tongue-tied, and he could tell she didn't really know what to say, either. Where does one start in a situation like this? How does he approach the topic? He couldn't very well ask her why she was there, to help him, obviously, but why? He supposed his situation was a bit different than hers, unless she already knew that he was the cause of her death… _'Let's not think about that.' _He closed his eyes again, deciding to let her continue whatever it was she was doing. If she wanted to heal him, he'd let her. After a minute or so, he began to feel restless. Being fully awake and in a situation like this only made him want to ask questions… or to hear her voice. Either way, he asked, "how much longer," unaware that he startled the poor girl by his sudden words.

"You were injured pretty bad," she started, her voice soft and soothing. "I've been trying to heal you for a few days now, but I think this is as good as I can do."

"Days?" He asked incredulously, sitting upright immediately. He completely disregarded her previous warning to stay still as he scanned the room for his phone. Having no luck finding it, he looked down at his torso, seeing that it was bandaged completely. He then glanced at the wide-eyed girl, who was all but shoving him back down on the bed. A small action that annoyed him slightly.

"Lie back down!" She exclaimed, gently pushing on his shoulders while mentally taking note that he was extremely stubborn.

"Tch. Why are ya here?" He snapped, not meaning it the way it came out. He was just suddenly overwhelmed. Here he was, just trying to live and figure things out when life decided to just throw him another curveball. He had a personal vendetta he needed to see through to the end, he needed to somehow get in contact with his long lost father, and _now_ to top things all off, the only woman in his life he'd ever dreamt of was here, in his space, touching him, and he had a feeling she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He winced internally at his sharp words, hoping she wouldn't take offense to his brash personality.

"If you don't want my services, I'll gladly leave," she stated coolly, turning slightly to scoot off the bed when she was stopped by a large hand around her wrist. Yes, she'd been touching him, but only for healing purposes. He'd never touched her before, so when he did, it startled her for two reasons. One, being the fact that her first reaction was to think he was getting a bit too friendly for her liking and wanted him to keep his hands to himself. The second was the almost magnetic reaction that followed him grabbing her. She faced him again instantly, which was a mistake on her part because the moment her honey eyes met his ruby ones, she got lost in them.

As much as his mind was telling him he wanted to be alone, it was almost as if his body reacted on its own. He'd grabbed her wrist in an attempt to keep her there. He wanted, no, _needed _her to stay with him, and he didn't know why. All he knew was he didn't want her to stop healing him, much less actually leave after doing this much to help him. Besides that, he felt a million times better now than he did when he showed up at Lily's. She turned back to face him again and their eyes locked, those feelings he felt the night he… well, those feelings came back, and this time, with a vengeance. "I'm still in pain."

She watched curiously as he laid back down slowly with a devilish grin, her wrist still in his grasp so her body leaned with him. As she hovered slightly over him, he guided her hand to his torso, placing it there gently. He watched her cheeks turn pink as her hand made contact with his abs. Honestly, his ego grew a bit when he noticed she was giving him the same reactions she did during their last encounter. He started moving her hand in circles on his stomach, not sure if he was trying to mess with her or if he was just trying to get a little more healing. Whichever it was, another part of his anatomy began to react strongly to the sudden change in atmosphere. _'At least I have on baggy pants. Let's just hope she doesn't notice.' _Their eyes met again, which he was thankful for because that meant she wasn't looking elsewhere. "Just keep doin' what ya did before I woke up."

Heat crept up her face as she was sure it was now beet-red. Any hotter and steam would have come out of her ears. _'Was it always this hot in here?' _It would have been a lie if she told herself she didn't see the tent growing in his pants, and it would be another lie if she told herself she wasn't turned on from this whole situation. As completely out of character this was for her, she didn't care. She felt no negative energy from him, in fact, she even felt safe and somewhat… at home… with him, and she didn't quite understand why. She wanted to think she was only attracted to him because of his looks, but she was smart enough to know that this was deeper than that. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to jump his bones, she couldn't for many reasons, so she decided to cast those thoughts aside, a soft white glow now coming from her hands as she attempted to continue healing him.

"So, um, what's your name?" She asked in an attempt to break the silence, her voice quiet and unsure.

"Gihi," he accidentally laughed out loud, resulting in a half confused, half annoyed look from the bluenette. She was so small, and she was so cute, and the fact that she didn't even seem sure how to start a conversation was even cuter. He took in her slightly agitated expression and smirked at the cute way her nose wrinkled. Suppressing the urge to reach up and cup her cheek, he crossed his arms behind his head, watching her small hands do whatever it was they were doing. "Tell me yer name first."

The blue-haired woman puffed out her cheeks, growing more annoyed by the second. Was he playing with her? When the fate of his injuries was in her hands? He seemed to have found her buttons quickly and began pressing them just to get a rise out of her. No matter. _'Two can play at that game.'_ The glow under her hands stopped as she sat up a bit and poked him sharply in his side, causing him to hiss and grip her wrist firmly.

Sitting up abruptly with his face only inches from hers, his crimson eyes bored again into her hazel ones while he had her wrist trapped in what would be a death grip if she weren't a divine being. She didn't tense up as one would expect; she knew he wasn't going to or trying to hurt her. She studied his face, his eyes, trying to read the emotion in them, but there was none, as if he were giving her a poker face on purpose. She tried reading his thoughts, but for naught, as she found herself unable to. _'What's with this guy?' _The more she tried to read him, the more she felt vulnerable. The more she felt like he was reading her. They stayed like that, lost in each other's auras for what felt like an eternity, but was really only a few seconds. She couldn't read him, but she definitely felt the energy he was putting off, which was dripping with pure control. She found herself giving in to his silent will to tell him her name, even though she didn't want to bite first. She bit her bottom lip, trying her damndest not to give in. He quickly picked up on what she was doing and raised a studded brow. _'I'll get ya ta tell me yer name, princess.' _He leaned in so she could feel his breath on her ear and whispered in his lowest, sultriest voice, "tell me."

_'Oh God!_' He'd gotten close, and she could smell his metallic scent, which almost made her melt right then and there, then his baritone voice in her ear and the feeling of his breath that reached her neck was enough to make her brain short circuit. Her free hand reached up and ghosted over his face, stopping herself just before she made contact. An action that he didn't miss, as he grabbed her hand gently and brought it back to his face, nuzzling into it before placing a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist. _'Gotcha.' _He smirked against her skin, seeing her body almost go limp at his brief action. "L-Levy…"

Her wrist was released from his grip upon her name leaving her lips. Sure, he already knew her name, but he just wanted to make sure one hundred percent that she was who he thought she was. He chuckled, feeling the lust come off her in waves. He really wanted to tease her a bit more, but he was worried he'd end up drowning in _her_ lust and take her right here and now, and he wasn't sure either of them needed that at the moment. He exhaled and she shivered, he realized he was still in the vicinity of her neck and her body was just reacting to his. He'd stop teasing after one… more… Before he knew it, his lips were pressed against her neck, leaving a trail of kisses that were so exquisitely soft to her jawline then up to her earlobe. He had to stifle his own groan when he heard her try to hide hers and fail. _'I want you screaming my name.'_ Wait. How had his subconscious gotten that far already? Was her lust _that_ all-consuming? Was it a combination of his and hers? He snapped back to reality and halted his ministrations. Putting some space between them, he saw the panting puddle she'd been reduced to.

"Y-Your name…" She spoke, her voice barely audible. "You g-gotta tell m-me your name…"

He could tell she was trying to alleviate the tension in the air by changing the subject, which he was grateful for. He wasn't sure he was strong enough to follow through on his own. He kept her hand in his as he fell back onto his pillow, her hand landing on his stomach again. "Gajeel."

_'Gajeel… it's a unique name,'_ she thought to herself, still madly blushing. She hadn't been this worked up in a while, and it usually only brought forth bad memories, but with him, even the smallest interaction was enough to wipe away the old memories and leave her craving more new ones... but now was not the time, and she suspected he felt the same way, so she had to find a way to distract them both. She continued her attempt to heal him a little more when she realized even touching his torso just to heal him was driving her crazy. _'I'm too far gone, huh?' _She needed him to say something, _anything_. She just needed to get her mind off this… this sculpture of perfection.

"So, yer an angel, huh?" He asked, sensing her distress as he put his hands behind his head.

"Yes, for a few months now," she replied, a somewhat serene look on her face. She had to admit, even though she was anxious almost constantly, she felt better dead than she did when she was alive. She was no longer on the run, yet she still felt like she was trying to get away from something. Even that was a much-preferred lifestyle over being afraid for her life. Nothing was perfect, she supposed. Well, she could go back to Heaven and life perfectly for the rest of eternity, but that honestly seemed boring to her. Maybe this was her heaven.

"Do ya remember?" He asked. Now the roles had reversed; he was quiet and uncertain, and didn't know if this was something that she'd be comfortable answering._ 'I don't think she'd be helpin' me if she truly remembered what happened that day.'_

Levy was able to put two and two together, understanding that he was asking if she remembered how she died. Unfortunately, she did not, but she'd give anything to know. The last thing she remembered was Lucy stopping by and bringing her things. Then after a while, she left and that was it. She had very brief instances where she remembered being… bothered… when Lily reaped her, but she brushed it away as her mind and body being weird after dying or something.

"No," was all she was able to mutter. Sometimes, she got herself worked up over not being able to remember, but she always ended up forcing herself to remember that she _wanted _to die. She was tired of being on the run. Those were the thoughts that brought her peace of mind, and they were the ones that made her tell herself she didn't need to know. She glanced at Gajeel's face, seeing a quick wave of relief flash across his face. She furrowed her brow. "Should I remember?"

For reasons unknown, he started to panic internally. He averted his eyes, looking for a way to play it off. "I dunno." He was suddenly hit with the awareness that he didn't want her to know or ever find out. It wasn't like he wanted to keep her around or anything, but he was intrigued by her and he wanted to learn more about her. Who knew what she'd think if she found out he was the one responsible for her death? Aside from that, he knew Lily was the one that reaped her, and he could have easily told the girl how she died, but for some reason, he didn't. _'Lily!' _He had to have been up to this. How else did she know where he lived?

"Do _you_ remember?" She asked, her eyes pulling him out of his head and finding his.

His eyes widened a bit, not haven spoken about his death since it happened. Was she really interested in his backstory? Who'd wanna know about that? "Yeah, I remember, but I wish I didn't." The last thing he wanted to do was think about the very assholes that made him feel shit he didn't like to feel. He still had that same nightmare, albeit not as often as he used to have it since he got the talisman back, but there were still occasional instances where it kept him awake. All thinking about it did was fuel his burning desire to kill them all, and he didn't want the woman in front of him to see him angry like that. He curled his hands into his palms, an initial reaction whenever he got upset. It didn't go unnoticed by Levy, who placed a small hand on his fist. "You're out for revenge."

A look of pain pooled in his deep-red eyes as they met her own, wondering how she was able to see through his façade. She'd uncurled his hand and intertwined their fingers, making him feel calmer than he'd ever felt. She looked at his palm, his hand almost two times bigger than her own. She usually hated feeling so small, but with him, she felt tiny _and_ safe. She didn't mind being encompassed by this giant. Now, even though she was considerably smaller than him, he was in pain, and _he _needed _her_ to make him feel safe.

"I'm the same," she blurted, not fully knowing why she told him something like that. She was more confused at the fact that she found herself wanting to tell him more, and she was strangely okay with it. She thought about it for a bit as she stared at their hands, and how she felt even more at ease with him than she did at the bar. She looked at his face again, a fang on display as his smirk showed itself. God, this man. This beautiful man. She wanted to help him. Whatever he needed to see through, she'd be there, even if only to provide support.

"Gihi." A deep chuckle escaped his throat. He didn't expect this tiny thing to hold any grudges deep enough to be out for revenge. He wondered what it was, already mentally deciding he'd help her out with whatever it was… if she wanted the assistance, anyway. Whatever the reason, he found it incredibly attractive that someone like her had her own vendetta. "That's cute."

"What?" A now frustrated Levy asked. _'Is he playing with me again?'_ Of course, this jerk would poke fun at her when she was vulnerable, but before she could react, he sat up, their faces only inches apart yet again. Her breath hitched, _'what's with this guy and personal space?' _Not that she didn't like it, he was just unpredictable, and he kept her on her toes at all times. His scent flooded her again, and she was thankful that she was kneeling on the bed because if she'd been standing, she was certain her knees would have buckled.

He absolutely loved driving her crazy like this. He knew exactly what he was doing to her and just couldn't help himself. This woman was going to consume him, and he knew it and welcomed it with open arms. The question was, did she? "Shorty's out fer blood, huh?"


	11. Chapter 11

**good evening my pretties! it's another boring day in long beach, still on my two week (?) vacation (?) from work. even though I can't go anywhere, it's still cool I guess. I know my sleep schedule is all fucked up, but that's beside the point. I usually post in clumps, but I finished this chapter early so I figured why hold on to it? this chapter is just a smidgen shorter, but it's still a good one. and, oh, don't worry. we're getting to the smut, just give me a little more time. I'm also debating on who should do the nasty first. Lalu or Gajevy? **

**I hope everyone is staying safe and only going out if necessary. I'm sorry if you're considered "essential" and you still have to work :( all your hard work and dedication is much appreciated! we can get through the plague of 2020! we got this!**

**also, I'm kinda interested in doing one-shots, so if you guys have any ideas, please let me know! I'm always down to get the creative juices flowing!**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)**** I love laxus and lucy together too, I'm actually pretty excited to develop their relationship a bit more. and no problem, I like giving my readers a bunch to read at a time so no one is left figuring things out for too long, but I figured you guys would want some answers as to how Levy got Gajeel back home and healed up.**

**(GUEST)(?)**** chapter ten is actually my favorite chapter so far also! sometimes I feel like I'm rushing their chemistry, but at the same time, I want to make it seem like they can't keep themselves away or off each other.**

**(GUEST)(?)**** Thank you! I'm glad you love this chapter! I was kind of hoping it would kinda start things off for ya. let you guys know where things are headed, obviously lol.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**Four days ago**

* * *

Only a day passed when Lily woke up and ventured back down to the bar. He turned on the lights and made his way through the space, taking down chairs and getting it set up to open again. He walked by his goblin friend who was still sleeping in the booth, deciding to check up on him to see if he'd made any progress in his recovery. He stopped and eyed him carefully, seeing he was still in the same position as he was when he first laid down, and that he was also still very injured. _'He must have been in worse shape than I thought. Though, it could be worse.'_ He continued, not minding the fact that he'd suddenly turned into a rest stop. It didn't matter to the reaper; he'd let them stay and rest for as long as they needed to.

He gave everything a light dusting before unlocking his doors and flicking on the 'open' sign. With a sigh, he moved to his space behind the bar and poured himself a drink as his eyes moved toward the manilla folder he had set aside for Gajeel. It was a well-paying job he had the pleasure of snatching up before anyone else could get to it and figured his friend could use the change of pace. He was constantly taking jobs on Earth, looking for that damned talisman, and now that he got it back, he could take heftier jobs, such as those in the spirit world and in the underworld.

Lily picked up the folder and glanced through the contents, satisfied with his choice. _'Too bad Gajeel is in no condition to do this…'_ He leaned slightly to see a pair of legs hanging off the side of a booth at the end of the bar. _'And it doesn't look like he will be anytime soon…'_ Placing the folder on the back counter, he took a sip of his drink as his thoughts were directed again to Levy, whom he'd successfully managed to keep in his bar for a few days.

Things were somewhat falling into place, as he didn't expect the goblin to show up injured. Fortunately, he was able to easily alter his plans a bit. Using the folder as bait, he made sure he kept it in a visible location, so Levy had no choice but to look at it at least once. _'It'll serve as a great conversation starter... let's just hope she starts the conversation.'_

The longer Lily lived in his second life, the more he realized he was a bit mischievous. He knew as a reaper, he'd have to play the neutral party and never take sides. His duty was only to reap souls and take them to their destined location, to keep a level head and not show too much emotion. However, Gajeel was his best friend, both in his first life and now in his second, so he couldn't help but to naturally take his side, especially if it came to his well being. There was a person Lily felt it beneficial to pair him up with, and he had an inkling that she was looking to be paired up with him too and she didn't even know it. _'They're the same. They have similar goals. She'd be a breath of fresh air for him and I believe it'd be vice versa as well.'_

Though, Lily did remember the events that led up to her death and remembered in detail her reaction to his goblin friend. He knew their first interaction would most likely be awkward, and knowing Gajeel, he'd probably try to keep the story of her death from her. Lily also knew that the girl's aura was infectious, and that would make him want to keep her around. _'I definitely wouldn't mind having Levy around, either.'_ Now, all he had to do was play the waiting game.

After a few hours, Lily heard the door from the other end of the bar open and watched a small, blue-haired woman step through the archway. He smiled as she made her way to the counter. "Ah, Levy. I trust you slept well?"

"I did," she said, returning his smile as she picked a stool to sit on. She hadn't felt this well rested in quite some time and being greeted by the warm lighting of the bar when she came back downstairs was a nice touch. She even caught a whiff of something that worked as aromatherapy that kept her mind at ease as she walked further into the seating space. Was it… metallic? Whatever it was, she was forever grateful for Lily and his hospitality. "Thank you for letting me stay here for a bit."

"Anytime," Lily replied warmly, pulling a tall glass from under the counter and filling it with a few ice cubes. He then grabbed a jar from the back counter that contained leaves and other medicinal herbs and carefully selected the right herb to put in the glass. Levy watched as he pulled a pitcher from the mini-fridge under the counter and poured the contents in the glass.

"Here, you should drink this," he said, setting the drink in front of her after stirring it a bit. "It's peppermint tea. It's supposed to be good for energy generation."

Levy took a sip, her eyes widening in surprise. Believe it or not, this was the first time she ingested anything since before she died. Not needing to eat or drink, she never felt the urge to do so. Now, Lily had given her this drink that tasted like it came from God himself, and she found herself immediately hooked. "Lily, this is delicious!"

"Thank you, it's my own special recipe," he said with a smile, shaking his jar and setting it on the back counter next to the folder. He shuffled around, pretending to be straitening things up while also watching Levy through his peripheral vision. He hoped the jar got her attention enough to stare at it for a few seconds.

Levy, on the other hand, was watching the jar curiously to see if she could pinpoint anything in particular when her focus was directed toward a yellow folder the jar was sitting next to. Her curiosity won as her eyes zeroed in on a particular word she saw on the corner of a paper sticking from the edge of the folder. _'Contract?'_ She pondered a bit, not pegging Lily as someone who'd work with someone, but you never know, right? She took another sip of her tea, her eyes never leaving the folder. "Wow, Lily. I never pictured you working with a contractor."

Lily smiled, mentally bursting with joy over the fact that his plan worked. "Yes, ever since I was reborn."

"I bet that's fun, no?" She asked, suddenly extremely interested in what Lily had to say. She put her elbow on the counter and propped her head up, eagerly awaiting to continue the conversation.

"Well, it has its moments," Lily said, glancing at the folder then chuckling softly. "Sometimes it can get really tedious."

"Oh?" Levy perked up a bit. "Well, I mean, if they're not good at their job then…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong," the reaper clarified. "He's amazing at his job. The best out there, in fact. It's just sometimes… he can get a bit… messy."

Levy watched as he tried to find the right word to describe his partner's work, slightly amused at his annoyance. _'He gets annoyed just talking about it. It must happen a lot.'_ She snickered, unable to hold it in much longer. "At least he gets the job done. Lighten up!"

Goodness, she was just like the guy. All they cared about was getting the job done, whereas Lily, he cared that the job was done, and no mess was left behind because you know who has to clean that up? _'Me!'_ He glared at the giggling bluenette, wondering if he was making the right decision to pair those two up. He sighed, pinching his brow. "I guess it's not all fine and dandy when _I'm_ the one who has to clean up after him!"

Levy was blatantly laughing at this point. They must have argued about this all the time with how quickly he got worked up over it. Who was this guy? He clearly had a sense of humor. She took in Lily's reaction, loving how his whiskers would twitch when he was annoyed. This guy must have used it to annoy him from time to time. She wanted to know more. "This guy sounds pretty entertaining! What's he like?"

"He's my best friend, unfortunately," Lily said, looking playfully dejected. "He doesn't really take sides except for his own, not that it's a bad thing."

Lily looked at the girl, who appeared to be genuinely interested in knowing the personality of his goblin friend, which further confirmed his suspicions. This girl _had_ to be the one who wanted to work with him. He shook his head. _'If only Gajeel would have come back to the bar the other day, they'd have already met and he'd have already agreed.' _He supposed it was never too late, and everything happened for a reason. "He's a bit rough around the edges, but he's a good guy with a good heart… and a bad smoking problem."

"How did you come to know him?" She asked, drinking the last of her tea and debating on whether or not she should ask for another one.

"He was my best friend before we died, when I was just a simple house cat," Lily said, recalling the memories of his earlier life. "He rescued me when I was still technically a kitten and cared for me since. Even though I couldn't talk, I still supported him and was by his side whenever he was in distress, which was almost all the time when he was a teenager. He talked to me, and I'm pretty sure people who saw him talking to a cat thought he was crazy, but he didn't care."

He saw her studying her glass and went to refill it for her. "Honestly, I prefer living how I am now because I can actually support him. Can you imagine seeing your best and only friend go through hell and not being able to give them the mental support they need? It was rough."

He recreated the peppermint tea and set the glass in front of her. "I remember just about everything he went through and everything he told me, so just think of how long our first conversation was when we were reunited. I had so many opinions on things that he didn't even know I knew."

Levy thanked the large cat for the refill and continued listening to his story. She didn't know animals could be reborn and thought it was pretty cool to have the opportunity to be reborn with your pets. "So, you were reborn into a reaper, and your friend was reborn into…?"

"A goblin," he stated. "An almost emotionless thing. After we died, he lost a lot of his spunk. Now, he wanders around taking random contracts until he feels better, I guess."

"A goblin, huh?" Levy thought back to when she was alive, and before she had the talisman when spirits would visit her. _'Wait. Where _is _the talisman?'_ She remembered being visited by a few goblins, none of them good. She was considered vulnerable, so they wanted to either harm her or take her vessel. "And you say he's a good guy?"

"I have no real reason to lie," Lily said, looking for a way to ease her suspicions. "Besides, I wouldn't call him a friend if he had poor intentions."

"I suppose he breaks the stereotype of all goblins being bad," she said softly. It was almost hard to believe that there was one capable of being decent, given her previous encounters with them, but she could tell Lily was telling the truth. _'Seriously, though. What happened to it?' _A thought that was fleeting.

The reaper chuckled, thinking of all the shenanigans Gajeel used to get into when he was alive versus now. He was much calmer and kept himself out of trouble. He wondered if that was why he made such a mess every time he took a job. "It's funny, actually. He's usually pretty good at staying out of trouble, but this time he was bested."

"Bested?" Levy asked with a raised brow. She took a large gulp of tea, almost polishing the whole thing off in one go.

"He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and happened to get caught in the crossfire. He's actually pretty banged up right now. Haven't seen him this roughed up in quite some time, but he'll be alright."

Levy furrowed her brow, thinking he must have seen him recently. "When was the last time you saw him?"

Lily couldn't hold back his smile. Everything was falling into place. "He stopped by not too long ago, while you were still sleeping. He's actually still here."

Her eyes widened in embarrassment when she realized they'd been talking about him while he was somewhere around, hopefully not listening. "What? Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Relax," Lily laughed. "He crashed in one of the booths over there. He told me he was going to rest here until he recovers."

Levy glanced in the direction he was pointing only to see a pair of two large legs poking out from the side of one of the booths. Again, curiosity got the best of her as she downed the last of her tea and hopped off the stool, the chains on her boots clinking softly as she landed. She almost tiptoed over to the booth to find a rather large man who looked beat to holy hell. _'So, this is where the metallic scent is coming from.'_

The first thing she noticed was his wild black hair that was splayed every direction above him, which suited him, honestly. His forearm was resting on his head, so she noticed the metal studs he seemed to be littered with. Another thing that seemed to suit him as they dotted him on what she assumed were both arms and along the prominent features of his face and neck. It was then when she noticed the full extent of his injuries. He had burn marks all over his skin, a broken nose, and a dislocated jaw, but it looked as though his body was trying to heal something more internal.

She gave him a once over, seeing that he had several broken ribs and some odd lung damage. Her hand came to her mouth, in awe that he managed to get out of whatever terrible situation he was obviously _just_ in. She snapped her head over to Lily, suddenly feeling like she needed to help. "Lily! He can't be comfortable here!"

Lily shrugged his shoulders, having not wanted to argue with the stubborn goblin. He learned to just let him do what he wanted, and eventually, things would work out. "It was his choice. I didn't want to stop him. I can only be thankful for the fact that he's resting."

"Yeah, but…" Levy looked back at the man who looked almost dead, but she knew better. She could see the life inside him, and she could see his body working really hard to repair the damage. "He should at least be at his place or something… I'm sure his body would appreciate it if he was a bit more comfortable."

Lily couldn't believe his ears. This was going much better than he expected it to. Might as well give it the final push. "Well, I can tell you exactly where he lives so you can teleport him there if you want."

He watched her eyes light up upon his offer as he grabbed a napkin and wrote a few numbers on it. She quickly found herself back at the counter, happily taking the napkin from Lily. "Those are coordinates to his home. Should put you right inside."

"Thank you, Lily!" Levy all but squealed, happy to be able to help someone for any reason. He watched the small girl slide into the free side of the booth and shimmy under the table, popping up on the other side and propping him upright. Sitting next to him, she linked his arm around her shoulder so she could support his weight. She gave Lily a smile. "I'm sure I'll see you again!"

Lily nodded, knowing fully that this would not be the last time he saw her, only the first of many. Levy vanished with Gajeel, leaving a very content reaper alone to his thoughts. _'My work here is done.'_ He smirked, putting the manilla folder in a drawer under the counter.

* * *

Levy was eternally grateful for Lily and his generosity and hospitality. She wanted to make it up to him somehow, but the only thing on her mind was getting this goblin some decent rest. She was able to teleport directly into his living room, but his couch was too small for him to fully stretch out on. Somehow, she managed to get him into his room and onto his bed without disturbing him. _'Phew! This guy weighs a ton!'_

She stopped, her chest slightly heaving as she caught her breath. Looking around, she could tell he didn't spend a lot of time home. The only thing he seemed to pay attention to was his bed, which was very large and very soft, littered with thick blankets. _'I knew it was a good idea to bring him here!'_ She smiled, happy that she seemed to be making decisions easier than before, most likely from finally being well-rested.

She actually took the time to look at him, and if she was honest, he looked very uncomfortable. His hair was an unruly, tangled mess, his shirt, even though it was a black shirt, she could tell it was caked with blood and lord knows what else. And she didn't know about him, but having shoes on in the bed was majorly weird for her, so it had to be weird for him too, right?

She slipped out of her shawl and tossed it to the floor next to the bed. _'Gotta be comfortable if I'm going to get this guy situated.' _She followed up by peeling off her thigh and shoulder holsters and carefully placed them on the floor on top of her shawl. She slipped her boots off, then proceeded to kneel on the bed beside him and throw the covers to the floor so they wouldn't get in her way.

Rolling his body to the side, facing away from her, she combed her fingers through his thick hair, gently working through the knots. His hair was a lot softer than she expected it would be. He clearly took pride in his hair, which wasn't a bad thing at all. She blushed slightly at the picture of her running her hands through a stranger's hair, but it felt… right. _'I mean, I'm helping him. There's nothing wrong with helping someone in need.'_

She continued her ministrations for at least five minutes, making sure she got every tangle and every knot. She couldn't tame his wild waves, though she wasn't sure she wanted to; as time progressed, she grew to like them more and more. She reached into her pocket and dug out an extra hair tie to pull his hair back and keep it out of the way. "Oh, for…!" His hair was too thick, and the tie snapped before she could even get it fully around his mane. She scanned the room, seeing a bandana on his nightstand, then used that to finish his hair. Satisfied with her work, she rolled him back over on to his back and frowned. _'Now, I need something to clean your face with.' _

She hopped off the bed and found the bathroom. Running hot water, she found a clean washcloth and soaked it. Returning to the bed with the cloth, she gently cleaned the blood from his nose and mouth. It was only supposed to take a few minutes, but she found herself entranced by the studs on his face. She leaned closer, as if studying each individual piercing. They lined both ears and took the place of his eyebrows, also lining both sides of his nose. She cleaned the bottom of his face, revealing a few more studs that came from his bottom lip down to his pointed chin.

She finished up, setting the rag aside and taking a long look at his face. _'God, this man is gorgeous.'_ Even with a broken nose and an unhinged jaw, he still looked like a work of art. She brushed her hand over his face, his nose and jaw now back to normal. She knew she'd be able to fix simple injuries like those, but his more internal injuries would take some time for her to heal.

She placed a hand on his chest, or on his shirt, rather, watching small green symbols take the place of the shirt then vanish in an instant, leaving him shirtless and her shocked. His sides were bruised badly, as well as his stomach. She put two and two together and figured that something inhuman did this to him. Who could have caused this much damage? More so, who could have taken this much damage and lived?

She scooted down to his feet, slipping off his boots before finding some bandages to wrap his body with. With a bit of effort, she managed to wrap his torso completely. _'Geez, that was a lot of work!'_ She took the opportunity to fall onto one of his pillows to catch her breath, wanting to drift off to sleep herself. His scent was really strong in his pillow, and it made her melt into the mattress. She rolled on to her side and faced him, watching his chest rise and fall ever so slowly. Those same studs, she noticed he had them around his neck, too. _'Interesting.'_

Before she knew it, her index finger was tracing the studs on his face, counting each one over and over again as if the number would change in the blink of an eye. She was so fascinated by this man, and he hadn't even spoken to her yet. So, as much as she wanted to lie next to him and study his very being, she much more wanted to heal him quickly. The faster he woke up, the faster she could learn more about him.

She sat up, kneeling next to him once again. She knew she was going to be at this for a while, but she didn't mind. She placed her hands on his torso, a heat pooling in between her legs. _'Um… What?'_ He felt amazing under her fingers as her hands started to roam. He was solid, like his body was built from the very metal he smelled of. She couldn't really understand or explain why or how her body was reacting the way it was, and she couldn't do anything about it. _'Should I just go with it? Everything happens for a reason, right?'_ Her hands found their way to his broad and muscular chest, and her thumbs brushed against his small nipples. _'Yeah, I should just go with it.'_

She debated internally with herself, should she consider herself a perv for feeling up an unconscious guy? _'Of course, you should! Who does that?'_ She shook her head at the thought, forcing herself to stop rubbing him down and to actually heal him. A task she inevitably failed as her hands found their way up to his shoulders and down to his biceps. Even relaxed, they were a generous size. She bit her bottom lip, her mind immediately thinking of all the ways he could pin her down with those arms. _'Stop it! Why are you like this?' _She scolded herself mentally, using all the might in her to stop fondling him.

She put her hands back on his stomach, and with some concentration, a soft white light came from her hands. _'That wasn't too hard.'_ This was the first time she'd ever attempted to use long-term healing on anyone, so she wasn't sure how it would work or how long it would take. It turned out to be really easy to initiate, and it surprisingly didn't drain too much of her energy.

Now, how _long_ it took was still an unknown factor. She'd been at it for hours, then days before she started to see visible progress. The burn marks on his skin were long gone, and when she changed his bandages, his skin was back to normal, though his ribs were still trying to heal. She was just happy to have made some progress. A few times in those few days, she would tire herself out and let his metallic scent consume her in a power nap for an hour or two before starting back up again. She was vaguely aware of how consuming this man would be, and she only hoped he felt the same.


	12. Chapter 12

**Happy Sunday, you guys! or, I guess happy very early Monday morning! I hope all is well and you guys are continuing to stay safe. I got word from my job that they won't be opening back up until the end of April so there's that... should be getting a bunch of writing done. But anywho, I'm finally where I want to be in my story, and I'm excited to finally do some character development. I don't usually warn my readers when there's gonna be smut, but I will this chapter because it's kinda sudden lol. my boyfriend was super confused when he first read it, but hey, gotta keep you on your toes, right?**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)**** I agree. Gajeel and Levy are gonna go through a few things before they get to that point, but definitely expect a bunch of sexual tension! that's always fun!**

**(GUEST)(?)** **I try to make the tension easy to cut through. I know, as a reader, I don't like too much tension, and I don't like to leave things hanging for too long. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Lucy had to hand it to him; Laxus definitely made a drastic improvement from before. Even though it had only been a day, he'd been more… caring? Than what he normally was. He was actually making an effort to do whatever _she_ wanted to do and to put her needs first. She _was_ initially mad at him for snatching her up like he did, but he'd effectively silenced her ranting by pulling her into a hug and holding her securely.

She couldn't stay mad at him much longer after that moment. She felt so warm in his embrace, it was almost confusing. She was used to him being cold and inexpressive, and she didn't think he possessed the ability to be compassionate, yet he was able to do it and throw her for a loop consecutively. That evening, she'd noticed how tired he was after searching and waiting for her all day, so she recommended they stay somewhere to get some rest for the time being while they figured things out.

He happily obliged, walking in the direction of the nearest town. Not before stopping to dig through their bags to find her some shoes to wear, though, which was another thing she appreciated. Another thing that surprised her was the fact that he didn't bring Loke up one time after they fought. She assumed it would have been the first thing he would have been itching to talk about. To be fair, he'd already made his opinion on how he felt about him clear, even though she felt he had no valid reasoning. A small part of her wanted to think he was jealous, but he never once showed any interest in her beyond friendship, _if that._ She doubted fully that he wanted anything more. _'But friends don't hug friends like that… Maybe I'm overthinking it.'_

They found a surprisingly nice hotel to stay at a few towns over and Laxus couldn't have been anymore relieved. He needed to come up with a new plan on how to get the stupid talisman or how to find the goblin who knew shit _about_ the stupid talisman, but he was frustrated, and his exhaustion outweighed his frustration; he needed sleep. They got to their room and he immediately threw his tunic to the floor and fell onto one of the beds.

Lucy followed behind, closing the door and letting out a sigh. She watched the overgrown angel flop on the bed, wincing slightly in anticipation of it breaking. "You're not at the bunker, y'know," she said, exhaling when she saw that it didn't.

"Eh," he said with a wave of his hand. "Fuck it."

She shook her head, rolling her eyes as she set her bags on her bed. Looking him over, she walked to the other side and sat on the edge. "You gonna get comfortable?"

"I'm about as comfortable as I can get," he replied with a sigh, dragging his hand down his face. Sometimes, he hated his brain. He usually kept to himself because once he got into something, he wouldn't stop until it was finished. He'd stress himself out and work nonstop until it was complete, then find something else to occupy his mind. He felt he could always be spending his time doing something productive rather than just lazing about. He supposed that was why he was just kind of along for the ride when it came to Salamander.

"Well, I'm gonna go find some food," the blonde said, standing and walking to the door. "Get some rest."

"Already on it," He said as he heard the door open and then shut. _'I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep unless I come up with a plan.'_ He ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the off-white ceiling of their hotel room. He'd been around for hundreds of years; he knew people. He was sure someone he knew would have a little bit of information. The only thing about that was, he had to actually find each one of those people individually since he didn't have a phone, and on top of that, they were scattered across Earth. Although, there was one person he knew would most likely know exactly what he was talking about and be able to point him in the right direction.

He sat up and dug his wallet from his back pocket, finding what he was looking for almost instantly. His memory was correct, as he found the coordinates he was looking for. _'Fuck, that's so far away!'_ However, he figured anything was better than nothing at the moment. The only downside about it was he wasn't sure how his blonde friend would feel about traveling so far, for something that may not even get them the info they need. All he could do was run it by her and hope she was fine with it.

"I _should_ get more comfortable," he muttered to himself, deeming his plan good enough for now so he could get some sleep. He stood, tossing his wallet on the nightstand and flashing out of his clothes, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and black socks. Crawling back into the bed, he dozed off instantly, dreaming of a time when he was still alive.

* * *

Lucy returned to their room after disappearing for a few hours. She wound up getting distracted and found herself window shopping before she even got something to eat. Eventually, she fed herself and brought back something sweet for Laxus. That was one thing in particular that she found cute about him: his sweet tooth. She remembered him telling her that as an angel, things sort of intensify, like tastes and smells. She smiled, knowing waking up to that would brighten his mood a bit.

She put the food in the mini-fridge, then glanced over at the large man who took up the majority of his bed. A tan comforter was draped across his midsection, exposing his bare, tattooed chest. _'I knew he wasn't going to be comfortable sleeping like that,'_ she smirked, deciding she should mimic his actions and get some sleep herself. It had already gotten dark out and he rudely interrupted her nap earlier, so she was a bit tired as well. She dug around in her bag for something light to wear so she could also sleep comfortably, pulling out a blue silk camisole. She turned around, her brown eyes studying his face making sure he was fully asleep before shedding everything but her panties.

She shivered, the cool air hitting her skin a bit more than she'd like it to. She pulled the cami over her head then flipped the light switch, encasing the room in darkness. Scurrying over to her bed and crawling under the covers, she let the coziness take over as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Keep it movin', droopy eyes! I wanna get this done and over with!" Salamander said, shoving Gray ahead of him. He heard from a contact of his that someone… or something knew exactly who had the talisman, and he decided to drag his dark-haired comrade along to meet up with him. The designated location was on another continent, and neither of them had the power to teleport all the way there. They'd been on this tedious journey for almost two days now, and they'd finally made it to the land they needed to be on, they just needed to find the exact location. They were cold, there was snow everywhere, and the wind just would _not_ stop blowing.

"Watch it, flame brain! I'm just as uncomfortable as you are." Gray, on the other hand, was a bit skeptical of this whole plan. He couldn't quite wrap his head around why someone wanted to work _with_ them to get the talisman. If they wanted the same thing they did, and they already knew who had it, what's the reasoning behind making them meet up if they already knew where it was? _'Unless there's another reason for calling us here… but who would go through all that just for an ulterior motive?' _He knew Salamander would act first before thinking, and the last thing he wanted was to jeopardize their entire goal, so he figured if someone had the info they needed, why not check it out?

"I dunno about this, Salamander. Somethin' doesn't seem right about all this," Gray said, slowing his pace as they neared a tunnel. "Besides, aren't we supposed to be meeting up with someone? And why couldn't they come to us at the bunker?"

"Don't worry about it," the pink-haired man said with a glare. "This guy supposedly knows exactly who has it, so _I'm_ gonna go figure out who."

"Yeah, but…" Gray motioned to the ominous entrance of the tunnel they'd been led to. "Doesn't this seem kind of… I dunno… odd?"

"He told us someone would be here to guide us to the right place," Salamander said, peering into the tunnel. "But I don't see anyone. I say we just head in!"

Gray scoffed, following the idiot into the passage, the light from the outside getting dimmer and dimmer the further they advanced. They walked for a solid five minutes before they realized they were going underground. The ground was softer and loose gravel littered the walkway. Old wooden pillars looked like they were struggling to keep the tunnel from collapsing, and old and broken lamps lined the walls.

"What the hell is this?" Gray asked, suddenly frustrated and super alert. "You tryin' to get us killed, Salamander?!"

"Killed? What do you mean?" He asked incredulously. His look of bewilderment changed quickly into mischief, as a grin spread across his face. "Don't tell me you're scared!"

"Fuck off, hothead," the dark-haired angel said, crossing his arms. "I'm not scared, I'm just cautious. Something _you_ never are."

"Yeah, yeah…" Salamander trailed off, staring into the distance as he felt a presence coming closer. "You feel that?"

Gray was also fixated on something deeper in the tunnel, an energy he couldn't tell if it was ominous or not that appeared to be getting closer to them. "Yeah, I feel it."

"Maybe it's the guide," he chirped.

"Or it's something trying to kill us," Gray said, deadpan. He hated ruining the mood, but this guy never stopped to even debate on thinking about something before he did it. Neither of them knew how this 'meeting' was going to go, and while Salamander was ready for it to be easy-peasy, Gray was ready for things to go haywire.

Before he could continue his negativity, a woman with wild, dark-purple hair and an odd forehead marking appeared in front of them. She wore a blue kimono with a thick yellow ribbon tied around the back. Her thigh high socks paired nicely with her revealing attire but left none to the imagination.

"I assume you are the two angels I'm looking for," she said, stopping in front of them. "Follow me, please."

"Whoa, you're not cold?" Salamander said, looking her up and down. She was pretty much barely clothed in his eyes, so he didn't know how she could possibly be comfortable in this weather. They were also on a continent in the northern part of the world where it was cold all the time, so she could be used to it.

The woman said nothing, but continued to walk, not paying any mind to how far they were lagging behind. What did she care? She hated angels. She was only doing this for the sake of her life. Hell knows she didn't want to piss _him_ off again. She hoped she'd be free from his tyranny after this was all over so she could live her own life. _'What am I? Some lowly errand boy?' Some human?'_

"Yo!" Gray called out, annoyed that she was silent. He wanted to know what they were walking into, and this… whatever she was wasn't giving any information whatsoever. "How much further 'til we get there?"

"We're just about here," she said, walking a few more feet then stopping abruptly. There was a weird section of the wall that was a lighter color and upon closer inspection, it was formed from a different material than the rest of the tunnel that was made from hardened dirt and concrete. She put her hand on the center of the section, causing that weird portion of the wall to look as if it were melting.

"Could ya tell us what's going on, lady?" Gray asked, throwing his hands in the air. He was getting fed up with her vagueness and demanded answers.

"They're here, sir," the woman spoke into the wall, leaving a very confused pair of angels standing off to the side.

Salamander, of course, wasn't just going to sit idly by doing nothing. He let his curiosity take over as he stepped in front of the 'melting wall' to see a grainy image? A projection? Of a man with wild black hair and piercings all over his face. He stood with his arms crossed, his mouth curved into a slight scowl that was more or less permanent.

"Who are you?" The pink-haired angel asked, causing Gray to investigate himself. His mouth fell open, not believing his eyes. _'I just had you locked up!'_ He grit his teeth, his fists clenching as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

"How the fuck did you get out of the cell?" Gray asked, aggravated beyond belief. Nothing was making sense, and it was driving him crazy. He knew the goblin escaped, and figured out he escaped by rusting the chains somehow. _'But those chains should have blocked all his magic power. How did he rust them? And so quickly?'_

"I think ya have me confused with my son," the man said with a smirk. "But it don't s'prise me that he escaped yer little trap. He _does_ seem ta take after his father."

Salamander looked back and forth between the man and Gray, who both seemed to have a silent hatred for each other. "So, _you're_ the contact?"

Gray was silent for a few seconds as he pieced things together. _'So that goblin was his son…? So, he must know he has the talisman since that's why we're here… but… who is this guy? What does he want?'_ He looked at the pink-haired idiot, who didn't know what the goblin looked like, so he wasn't nearly as confused as he was. He faced the man, a serious look on his face. "You asked us to come here for what reason? Why couldn't you come to us? Who are you?"

The man grit his teeth, having to bite back his usual snappy response. Did those scrawny angels know who they were talking to? He realized he needed to at least attempt to stay calm if he wanted his plan to work. He sighed. He couldn't very well tell them his true intentions. He needed to find a way to relate to them so that they'd be more willing to work with him. _'This will all work in the long run.'_ He had to keep telling himself to keep his attitude in check. "Ya angels wanna get back ta Heaven, right? Well, my son has the talisman in his possession. Clearly, the black-haired angel here knew that, an' still couldn't get nothin' outta 'im!"

"You—" Salamander extended his arm, stopping Gray from saying and doing anything he'd regret. He had a feeling this guy was no good; even worse than them. He knew he wasn't exactly a good guy himself, nor did he try to be. He just wanted to get back home, and he supposed that kind of corrupted him… or all of them, really. He wasn't always like this. However, this guy in the wall gave off a vibe he didn't quite like, and Gray seemed to be too worked up to notice it.

"Who are you?" Salamander finally asked, stepping in for his fellow Fallen. He wasn't quite as paranoid as Gray, but he still needed answers.

"Metalicana. An' yer Salamander an' yer friend here's Gray. I know full well who ya are. I called ya here 'cuz we're after the same thing," he said, matter-of-factly.

"Metalicana?" Gray said under his breath. _'Where have I heard that name before?'_ He logged that name in his brain so he could look into it later. "If we're after the same thing, why don't you just get the talisman from your son? What's the point of even talking to us?"

"Fer reasons that ain't none of yer business, I can't go ta him. I recently reached out ta him an' told him ta find me," the man explained. "I asked ya here 'cuz I believe we can work together."

"Why would we work with you?" Gray sneered, turning his nose up slightly.

"Look. I haven't seen my son in almost twenty years. I'm certain he's gonna show," the large man said, sure of his plan. "Then when he does, I'm gonna get the talisman from 'im. I get ta go back ta the spirit world an' ya Fallen or whatever get ta go back ta Heaven. We're all happy."

"Again," the icy angel said, his mood far from improving. "What do you need from us?"

"I need ya ta stop goin' after 'im," he replied simply, letting a dead silence fall awkwardly over the three. He just needed them to stop pursuing him temporarily to allow them the time to finally meet up again. Metalicana knew it was a request that likely wouldn't fly well with the angels, but if they were desperate enough, they'd give him the chance. "Just give 'im a month ta show up. I'll convince him ta give it back."

"Give it back?" Salamander and Gray said simultaneously.

"The stupid thing was mine ta begin with, I'm the one who gave it ta 'im when he was a kid," he explained nonchalantly. "Anyway, just give 'im a month. I'll reach out ta ya once I get it."

"Fat chance," Salamander snorted. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Yer really gonna let this opportunity slip away?" Metalicana said, trying again to hold his composure. "The talisman is literally gonna come ta me, an' I can then hand it off ta ya angels. How much easier can it get than that? All's ya gotta do is lay off fer a month. That should be plenty of time fer 'im ta get here."

Gray yanked his comrade to the side, wanting a second opinion on the whole thing. They conversed for about thirty seconds, coming to the conclusion that they were closer to achieving their goal than they'd ever been. They now knew exactly who had it, and they knew he was going to be in this vicinity sometime soon. Now, did they want to camp out and wait a month around here then ambush the goblin to take the talisman for themselves, or trust this man who claimed he could get it back?

Metalicana was beyond pissed. He was not a patient being, and these gaping dickheads just walked away from him in the middle of a conversation. He almost had them, he just needed to be calm for just a bit longer. A task he was finding incredibly hard. _'I can't fuckin' deal with these bitches.'_ He scoffed, wondering how they had the balls to keep him, of all people, waiting like he wasn't doing _them _a favor, when he saw the pink-haired angel show his face again.

"Alright," he said, glancing at Gray. "We'll do it."

"Excellent."

* * *

_They rolled around in bed naked, spending the majority of the morning in each other's arms. They were both wonderfully sated and out of breath, relaxed smiles on their faces as she laid across the length of his body, tracing the tattoo on his chest as he played in her hair. Her hair, her snow-white hair that extended all the way down the curve of her bare back and framed the top of her heart-shaped backside. He let his hand and his eyes wander, moving from her hair to waist, then down to give her ass a squeeze._

"_Careful there, big boy," his pale-skinned vixen said, rolling so that she was laying on top of him fully. A soft blush graced her skin as her blue eyes met his, a deviant smile playing on her lips. "You might start something again that you can't finish."_

_The man smirked, grabbing her chin and bringing her face to his. "Oh, I think you and I both know I can finish," he said, his voice low and sexy as his lips ghosted over hers._

_The evidence of his arousal made itself known as it pressed against her lower stomach, urging her to grind against him. He let out a deep moan as she peppered kisses down his neck and to his very broad chest. His hands would rub the sides of her hips and curve around to cup her ass as she continued her attack on his chest. She slid down, dragging her tongue along his abs, kissing and gently sucking small portions of skin into her mouth, marking his body as hers everywhere she went until she finally got to her prize._

_His eyes were closed, not knowing where she was going to strike next. Her kisses were on his lower abdomen and her hands were still gliding down his chest and stomach. He felt her large breasts come in contact with his dick, which was stiffening by the second. Oh, how he wanted to bury his face in between her tits, but he was too enthralled by what she was going to do next. He opened his eyes, watching her kisses get lower and lower until she was on her knees and her taut ass was in the air._

"_My, my. Looks like you're ready for round two already," she teased, gripping his thick member at its base and slowly wrapping her lips around the tip. He let his head fall back as a curse left his lips. He loved the way her mouth felt but loved how her body felt even more. He lifted his head as she took his whole length in her mouth, as if begging to drink him down. He watched her bob her head, amazed how she could take him fully with no issue. A guttural moan escaped him, his growing need to be in her core taking over his senses._

_She was stopped by two large hands cupping her face, slowly bringing her head up from his erect dick. What a beautiful sight to behold, he thought, their body moving as one as he sat up to lean against the headboard. His hands found her thighs as they moved around to the back of her knees and brought them up, so she was straddling him, their faces inches apart while his hard shaft rubbed against her moist opening. "You ready for me, gorgeous?" _

_One hand went to brush the hair from her face as the other held her slim waist. She nodded and pressed her lips against his, her hands flat on his chest as she rolled her hips, fully sheathing him inside her body. His moans swallowed her own, their tongues fighting for dominance in each other's mouths as he slowly rocked himself into her body. His mouth left hers and found her neck, planting kisses with each thrust upward. His name was like a mantra on her lips, and his ego soared. "Mira, you feel so fucking good," he husked in her ear, his thrusts getting more frenzied._

_His hands left her hips and decided to pay homage to her large chest, letting her bounce on his dick at her own pace. He pinched her hardened nubs between his index and thumb, causing her to throw her head back and arch into him. "Oh, Laxus!" _

_The slight change in position made him slip deeper into her, nearly making him burst right then and there. His tongue dipped down between her breasts and dragged it up to her collarbone before sucking gently and continuing up to her earlobe. "Slow down," he whispered into her ear. If he was going to last any longer, he needed to take it slow for a bit. She complied, changing her bouncing into a slow roll as she ground her body against him. His hands found her hips then the bottom of her ass, giving it a smack._

_Her walls tightened around him, and she moaned his name, begging for his release. He knew her body well enough to know she was nearing her own release, and she wanted them to cum together. He picked up his pace, bringing her up then slamming her back down on his dick to the point where she saw stars. He lifted her one final time, bringing her back down hard as he wrapped strong arms around her waist and buried his face into her neck. Intense orgasms rocked through both their bodies; her arms thrown tightly around his neck as her shuddering body worked itself down from that intense high._

_Laxus sighed as the woman on his lap nestled against his chest, sleep ready to take them both even as he was still seated deeply within her. He slid down, slipping out of her and rolling them to the side so she could be more comfortable. She let out a small squeak at the sudden loss of contact, to which he reacted by chuckling softly and kissing her forehead. She rested her head against his chest and intertwined her legs in his; he couldn't be any happier._

* * *

Lucy woke up in the middle of the night absolutely dying of thirst. She sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes and swinging her legs to the side of the bed. She sat on the edge, facing the sleeping giant on the bed next to hers. She couldn't make out much in the dark, but she knew he was definitely in a deep sleep given how heavy his breathing was. She stood, feeling her way around to the small kitchenette. She found the mini-fridge and pulled out the bottle of water she'd brought back with her earlier, chugging as if her life depended on it.

She finished off the majority of the bottle, not even bothering to put it back in the fridge; she could barely see it anyway. She was on her way back to bed when she swore she heard a questionable noise come from the sleeping angel. Brushing it off as hearing things in her sleepy state, she felt her way to the mattress before hearing it again. _'Is he… moaning?' _

Lucy's face immediately got hot, not having heard noises like this come from this man before. _'I wonder what… or who... he's dreaming about.'_ She found her bed, or what she thought was her bed until a hand reached out and grabbed her. She nearly yelped, wobbling as she lost her balance and fell onto the mattress next to him. She froze, her mind reeling at top speeds. _'H-How is he not… awake from that?' _She always knew he was a heavy sleeper, but she practically landed on top of him! How did he _not_ notice that?

She squirmed, trying to detangle herself from him when he held her closer to his body, the front of his body pressed against the back of hers in a somewhat comfortable spoon. Unfortunately, her brain short-circuited and couldn't even focus on how comfortable she felt; his hands started roaming her body and she didn't know how to react. First, they were wrapped securely around her waist, then slowly moved under her camisole to cup her large breast, twirling her nipple every so often.

Her head was spinning; this man was pulling feelings out of her that she didn't even know she had. She wanted him to stop, while silently begging him to continue. He subconsciously ground into her, causing her to feel his very large and very hard dick pressed against her ass. She shuddered, goosebumps gracing her body as his hand lightly smoothed against the soft curve of her hip. Again, he caught her off guard when he gripped her hip with a force that electrified her and pushed himself into her, causing a whine to leave her lips.

Her mind wanted him to stop, but her body betrayed her; her core was literally drenched at his actions. She so desperately wanted to talk to him, to ask him why, to see if he was really into her, or if he just wanted to get in her pants. She stayed like that for a few minutes wondering how she could get herself out of this situation. _'Or should I?' _His hand continued to roam, playing with the hem of her panties as if contemplating ripping them off. She would swear he was awake if he wasn't basically snoring.

He pushed his hips into hers again, muttering things in her ear in between deep, breathy groans. She couldn't really make out what he was saying, but the way he spoke sounded so sinful, almost blasphemous coming from an angel. His voice traveled through her body as if it were her own, almost trembling at the sudden overflow of hormones. "L-Laxus…" Her voice was nothing above a raspy whisper as she fought the urge to reach down and pleasure herself, her restraint thinning rapidly.

Then, he pushed into her again, this time, he held his breath and she felt his dick throb against her. _'Oh my God! Is he…?'_ He exhaled, his grip on her hip loosening then turning into soft caresses. She was conflicted. Not only was that the hottest thing she'd ever experienced, it was the weirdest, too. Even if he could play this off and pretend it didn't happen, she couldn't, because now, she wanted the man _badly._

"Laxus," she said a bit louder, weaseling her way out of his grip. She'd managed to lift his arm and scoot away a bit, but as soon as she went to sit up, she heard his breath catch as his body stilled. Thankfully, the room was too dark for either of them to see each other's faces, which were both cherry-red. There was an extremely awkward silence; she knew he was awake, and neither of them really had anything to say. She hastily stood from his bed and dove into her own, hiding under the covers. _'God, just kill me now!'_


	13. Chapter 13

**happy Saturday, all! I hope my readers are staying safe and healthy! not really much to say here, just expect hella sexual tension for this chapter! **

**(ALICIACEVBRA) *laughs evilly* I know, I know awkward, right lol. but I think they handled the situation quite well here in this chapter. also yes, I have some plans for Metalicana... and Gajeel sure isn't going to like them lol**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen **

Laxus could do nothing but lay there in embarrassment. He hadn't realized that his body was acting out his dream, and not only that, but on Lucy! He'd woken up when he felt her shimmying out of his grip and his body instantly stilled for a few seconds before she dove back into her own bed. _'How was she…? Why was she…?'_ He was racked with so much confusion, his brain almost hurt. Did she crawl into his bed again?

He remembered every detail of the dream vividly, and the stickiness in his boxers was proof. He rolled onto his back, trying to find the words that would ease the situation, but none came to mind. He could only imagine what he did to her while he slept; who knew how she'd view him now? _'She probably hates you! You're a fucking creep! Who has a wet dream about their ex while feeling someone else up? In their sleep, for fuck's sake?!' _

He sat up, he had to say something, _anything; _it'd been quiet for too long. He reached for the lamp on the nightstand, flicking the light on then immediately wincing at the sudden burst of light. He swung his legs so they were hanging off the side of the bed and looked at the girl, who was curled up into a ball under the cover. He felt the embarrassment coming from her in waves as she tried to curl into herself even further. _'What do I say?'_

"Lucy…" he spoke softly, still managing to make her flinch slightly. "Why were…?"

Before he could finish the question, she just _knew _he was going to ask, she threw the cover off her body, jolting upright as she now sat up in the center of her bed. She didn't want him to think this was a repeat of her first night on the island! _'This time it was all his doing!_' She glanced at the large angel, gripping the cover that was bunched up in her lap, her cheeks continuing to burn. "You grabbed me! And pulled me into your bed!"

She yelled, but he could tell she wasn't really angry, more like… startled. Hell, he was startled his damn self. _He _grabbed _her?_ He went to speak, but nothing came to mind. Instead, he sat there in silence as they both did everything in their power to _not_ look each other in the eye. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to process emotions he hadn't felt in centuries. How in the world could he fix this? "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…"

Lucy raised her hands, stopping him mid-sentence. She knew he didn't mean to do it, nor was she mad at him for doing it. If anything, she wanted to finish what he started. She was still a bit dazed and he'd gone and turned the light on, giving her a full view of the hard body she was just pressed against. He was only in a pair of socks and briefs, and the soft glow of the lamp illuminated his tanned skin nicely. She groaned internally. He was trying to apologize, and his deep voice wasn't doing anything to help her calm down either. She continued averting her eyes then stealing glances at his body whenever he wasn't looking, fumbling with her hands. "I-It's fine."

He caught the hint that she didn't want to talk about it anymore, which made him feel relieved but also on edge. Was she mad at him? Did she think he was a creep? Did she… enjoy it? That was a question he tried to push out of his head because even if she did, it was wrong of him to do that under those circumstances, _and_ while thinking about someone else, for that matter. _'I can never tell her…'_ For the first time, in that awkward situation, their eyes met briefly. Upon instinct, his roamed her body, lingering on the blue camisole she had on. He really liked that top on her. _'I gotta get outta here.'_

Lucy watched as the man stood from the bed and made his way to the bathroom, watching every muscle in his back move as his arms swayed with each step. She fell back onto her pillow with a sigh; she knew she was too far gone at this point. The water ran for a few minutes before he emerged in a sleeveless muscle shirt and black sweat pants. "I'm gonna go get some fresh air."

He left the hotel room, seriously contemplating between going to the front desk, paying for the room for a couple of months so she'd have somewhere to stay for a bit, then bailing, or going back in there to face the madness. He walked through the front door and around the side of the building, leaning on the brick wall after walking a few feet. _'I can't believe I did that!' _He couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty for his actions. He couldn't deny his attraction to the blonde, but what he did wasn't directed toward her. Honestly, the worst thing about this whole situation was the timing. He'd _just_ promised Lucy that he'd be more attentive to her, and he _just_ promised himself he'd get closer to her. Why did his brain, or his subconscious, or whatever… choose _now_ to think about Mira?

_Mirajane. _His first and only love. He'd tucked those memories of her and his human life away forever, or at least he thought he did. His brain suddenly started replaying those times with her that he never believed he could ever have with anyone else. He remembered when they met, and she was the complete opposite of him; reserved and delicate, sweet and innocent, he'd fallen for her almost immediately. He remembered spending most of his teenage life with her, then moving in together once they were adults. He remembered asking her to marry him and the joy he felt when she said yes. Then, he remembered his worst memory. Her death. He remembered the men that killed her. He remembered how crazy he went finding and murdering those bastards. He remembered the pain it felt to lose his other half; his soul mate.

He carried that pain with him for the rest of his short life, and for a bit after he died. He remembered thinking that if he was an angel, then maybe she would be too. He searched high and low, _'she has to be somewhere! I know it!' _There was no way a guy like him was an angel and she wasn't. There was just no way. He left no stone unturned, not finding anything even remotely close to a clue on where she may have been. He eventually came to the conclusion that her soul wasn't reborn, just taken to its destination… wherever that was.

He never loved anyone else after that; he felt his heart would forever belong to Mira, until she came to him in a dream one day telling him to 'live and let go.' He didn't think he'd ever drank that much in his life. It took him years to finally go a day without thinking of her, and a few years longer to finally get completely over her. It was hard, and he felt that was maybe the reason why he rebelled. When he fell, he was relieved that he no longer had the power to locate her. It granted him the freedom to do what he wanted… which was nothing. He'd holed himself up on that island for years, distancing himself from everyone and everything. Eventually, he got bored and wandered around until he found Salamander and his crew.

He was a part of the takeover on that town where the bunker was, but after that, he sort of just stayed to himself. Then, a few years went by and Salamander hired this beautiful human girl who piqued his interest. He was confused; it had been a while since a woman had gotten his attention, so he decided to keep his emotions at bay. He watched her for a couple of years, wondering if his interest would ever dissolve, but it only grew. He watched as she came and went, and remembered when she befriended Leo, a wandering Fallen. He remembered when Salamander found out about their relationship and cast him away. He remembered how distraught and lonely she was, and how he wanted to be there for her and comfort her, but he refused to let what could be false emotions take over his decision-making skills.

It wasn't until he knew her life was in danger that he stepped in and took her out of that situation, claiming he needed her help to find the talisman. He knew he could find the thing on his own, and probably do it faster, but he couldn't just tell her she'd gotten his attention and he wanted to have her around. He was lucky to be able to use Salamander as an excuse to 'hide' on the island with her for a few days. He ran his hand through his hair and chuckled. He remembered their first night on the island and how she crawled into his bed. He was aware from the moment she opened his door, and he knew she didn't do it on purpose. He waited until she was in a deep sleep to mold his body against hers, holding her securely. It felt nice to hold someone again, and she happened to fit in his arms just as well, if not better than Mira… _'No, no! Don't compare the two!'_

He sighed, letting his head rest on the brick. He'd been through a lot, and he'd met a lot of people, but none caught his eye like Lucy. He knew she'd be the center of his attention from here on out, but he had to do right by her. He couldn't let himself get too attached until he suppressed those memories of Mirajane again. He wanted to be able to give her one hundred percent.

He stood from his position on the ground and shoved his hands in his pockets. Kicking a few rocks around, he wondered if she was still awake and if he should tell her his next plan now or later. He still had about a day left to sleep if he wanted to gain all his power back, so he also wanted to see if there was anything she wanted to do. He ventured back inside, trekking up a few flights of steps to get to their room. He eased the door open, seeing that the light was still on, but she looked to be sound asleep. Shutting the door quietly behind him, he stripped back down to his boxers, and sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the sleeping blonde.

She had the covers pulled up to her waist, giving him a full view of her huge chest in that sheer blue top. He tore his gaze away, flipping the lamp switch and laying down. He hoped they could just forget that ever happened and they could move on, but something told him otherwise. He laid on his back, staring at darkness as he tried to get back to sleep when he heard rustling coming from her bed. "Laxus?"

He heard her say his name, though it was soft, it rang loud and clear in his ears. He tensed up, not knowing what she was going to say, but he was ready for the worst. He knew the girl. He knew she wasn't going to speak again until he acknowledged her. He managed to work up enough courage to grunt out, "y-yeah?"

What felt like an eternity passed before she spoke again. He figured she was trying to work up some courage herself and was having a hard time, but he didn't dare say anything; this situation was extremely delicate and saying too much or the wrong thing could easily make things go south. "C-Can I lay with you?"

Did she really just ask him that? His mind was reeling. She clearly didn't hate him, and if she thought he was a creep, it obviously didn't bother her. Did he want her to lay with him? _'Hell yes!'_ Did he deserve it? _'Fuck no!' _However, this was an opportunity he didn't want to pass up, and she was vulnerable right now. If he told her no, that would only break her spirit. "Yeah…"

She slowly detangled herself from her covers and rose from her bed, walking a few steps to the bed across from her. She felt him scoot over to give her some room as she crawled in next to him. She got comfortable, laying her head on his chest as her arm draped itself across his torso. He wrapped his left arm around her, nuzzling into the top of her head. He smelled her hair, being assaulted again by the smell of flowers. She felt so perfect in his arms, and he was a bit annoyed with himself for not indulging in this pleasure sooner. "You know you never have to ask me that, right? You can lay with me anytime you want."

She blushed, butterflies fluttering in her belly as she nestled even closer against him. She took it upon herself to throw a leg over his and smiled when his right hand slid down her thigh and found the back of her knee, bringing her leg up more on his body. She felt so perfect in his arms; she was annoyed she hadn't asked him sooner. He washed away any awkwardness that may have been lingering in the air, and a heavy air replaced it, lulling them both to sleep almost instantly.

* * *

"I-I wouldn't… n-necessarily say I'm…" Levy stammered over her words as the goblin before her continued to occupy her personal space. Was she sure this was what she wanted? She knew if she chose to pair up with him, he'd have her in the palm of his hand in no time. _'As if he doesn't already.' _However, it seemed as though this was going to happen, no matter what. The idea of her forgetting about him and leaving never once crossed her mind, and she'd inadvertently shunned just the mere thought of it. She completely disregarded her annoyance; it'd been long replaced with… She looked down, her hand still in his when he cupped her cheek and brought her eyes back to his.

Gajeel should have known his plan would backfire. He only intended to get her flustered again but ended up working himself back up in the process. _'What's with her?'_ The corner of his mouth curved up in a slight smile at the sight of her fumbling over her words. It was so easy to get her like this. He watched as she disappeared into her thoughts for a moment, wondering what was going through that pretty head of hers. She looked down, and his hand went to her face and gently brought it back up. He could get lost so easily in those honey eyes. "Blue, there's just somethin' about ya."

Her face warmed quickly, not knowing how to respond. He said it while brushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, dragging his fingers down her neck and dancing on her shoulder. Everything about this situation, though bizarre, felt completely natural. His aura, his presence, his touch. He made her feel comfortable. Though, she had to at least _pretend_ she wasn't putty in his hand. _'Don't want him getting too full of himself.'_ She could already tell he was one cocky guy. She eased her hand out of his and put just a little more space between them.

"W-Well…" she mumbled, her hands moving back to rest on his torso. "You have to keep your hands to yourself."

Gajeel laughed, propping his upper body up with both hands. Who was this girl trying to convince? There was this unstoppable force that clearly wanted them together and he knew she was well aware of it. He'd like to see her try and keep that rule in effect. "If yer gonna say that, then ya better say it like ya mean it!"

She pouted as he continued laughing. Unfortunately, he was right. She didn't sound convincing in the least, but he didn't have to throw it in her face! She was already unsure if she was saying that more for herself or for him. Either way, those words convinced neither of them. She glared at him.

"Okay, okay," he said, catching his breath. "But same goes fer _you_ too, Shorty."

A look of confusion flashed across her face. What reason could he possibly have for saying that? Sure, she had this overwhelming desire to ride him up his headboard, but she wasn't the one breathing down his neck! _'At least while he's conscious, anyway.' _Her confusion turned into slight frustration as she looked at him with wide eyes. "I'm not the one touching you and invading your personal space!"

"Don't tell me yer actually tryin' ta heal me," he said matter-of-factly, a fang on display in that devilish smirk of his.

"W-What are you talking— "

"Ya said ya think this is as good as I can get fer now, right?" He paused as if waiting for her to respond. Glancing down, he gestured to his torso, which had her hands rubbing gently above the bandages. "Then why're ya still rubbin' on me?"

Levy blushed furiously, not knowing if she should be angry or embarrassed. _'I'm healing you, you behemoth!' _Gajeel seemed to be enjoying this thoroughly, though. "I mean, look at ya! Yer not even healin', just feelin'!"

She looked down; he was right. She hadn't even started trying to heal him again. She gasped as she snatched her hands back in embarrassment, making him laugh even more. It was a mistake on his part, as he clutched his abdomen and groaned in pain. Immediately, she was at his side holding onto him, an arm thrown around him to support his weight if needed. "See. That's what you get for laughing," she joked.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said, sitting up fully. He finally took the time to look at his body, checking his arms and chest for burn marks from the electrocution. He felt his face, feeling that it was back to normal. The only thing that still needed to heal were his ribs, and those should be fine in another day or two. He suddenly came to the realization that she'd cleaned him up and most likely did all this herself. His hand went to his head, noticing his hair was combed and pulled back, too. "Thanks."

She pulled away from him as he slid to the edge of his bed, his legs hanging from the side. He had tons of questions. Why was she here? Why was she helping him? More importantly, why was the universe so hell-bent on bringing them together? There was only one thing he knew for sure; he needed a smoke.

She watched as he stood from his bed and stretched, his true size presenting itself. Watched? More like ogled. He was faced away from her, digging through his nightstand and giving her a nice view of his wide back. He was scarred, and she wanted to know the story behind each one. She must have zoned out or something because the next thing she knew, he was facing her again, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He smirked. "See somethin' ya like?"

Her eyes widened as she shook her head frantically. "N-No, just…" The words left her as embarrassment kicked in again. She _did_ see something she liked. A whole lot of it, too. _'Stop it, perv!'_ She turned away from him, standing from the bed for the first time in days. She copied his actions and stretched, her muscles tight from not getting much movement.

Gajeel lit his cigarette and leaned against the wall, watching the tiny woman stretch her limbs. Oh, what he'd do to have that lithe body pressed against him. He wondered how long it'd take for them to cave into each other. He also finally got to see how shapely she actually was. She had a tiny waist, wide hips, and an ass that would drive any man insane. He took a drag as she bent over, unintentionally giving him the best view of that very fine ass.

He saw her dig through a pile of what he assumed was her stuff and slide into a pair of thigh holsters. He cocked a studded brow, intrigued by the questionable choice of accessories she'd chosen to wear before she slipped on some shoulder holsters. His mouth fell open as she completed her look with a black shawl; she looked badass.

"Damn, Shorty," he said, casually walking toward the blue-haired angel. He stopped, towering over her as his eyes scanned her form. "Tell me again, what is it that yer into?"

He was standing over her, a smoky, metallic scent now billowing down at her. It was enough to make her weak in the knees, but she held her composure. She peered up at him, his aura almost daring her to touch him. Clearing her throat, she averted her eyes, forcing herself to think of something other than the hulking man in front of her. She knew she'd eventually have to address the elephant in the room and tell him why she was there. "I… That's actually why I'm here."

"Oh?" _Now,_ he was really curious. She clearly knew her way around a weapon, and he wondered if it had anything to do with what got her killed as a human. Was she here to kill _him_ this time? He chuckled darkly, brushing that tedious thought away as he took a big drag from his cigarette.

"Well, I was kind of hoping…" Her eyes scanned the room, looking for something other than _him_ to fixate on. All for naught, as he grabbed her chin and brought her attention back to him.

"Look at me, Levy," he said firmly, tired of the woman trying to hide from him, even if it was only mentally. He'd already broken her 'no touching' rule, but he didn't care, and neither did she. "Tell me."

She loved how he refused to let her look away, and how he demanded her attention. The way his rough fingers felt on her face, the way he hovered all around her, the way her name rolled off his tongue, she craved more. "I was hoping… to work alongside you," she blurted out.

Gajeel's hand dropped from her face as he took another drag, realization hitting him hard. _'Work with me?' _This had to be what Lily was talking about before he got snatched up. He smashed his cigarette into the tray on the dresser behind her as a brief moment of anger washed over him. If he'd just gone back to the bar to talk about it like the cat requested, he wouldn't have gotten in that mess at all, _and_ he would have gotten to see her sooner. His eyes shot down to his hands, which were now balled into fists, her hands covering them gently in an attempt to calm him. His qualms of not wanting to work with anyone quickly went out the window; he'd make an exception for her.

He looked at Levy, who looked genuinely worried that something was wrong. Had she said something wrong? No, just his own inner issues that he was dealing with. "Are you…?" She asked, unsure.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Shorty," he said, shaking away his thoughts and focusing back on her, his hands rubbing the sides of her arms. "I'm just thinkin' about decisions I shoulda made."

"There's no use dwelling on the past," she said, her hands rising to hold his face. "You can only think about the future, and what you can do to make it how you want it to be."

His hands covered hers gently as he brought them down ever… so… slowly… until they rested on his chest. He moved his hands, but hers stayed. _'Like I knew they would.'_ He smirked defiantly at the bluenette who decided to let her hands roam his olive skin. "No touchin', remember?"

She scoffed, shoving him back gently as a soft smile played on her lips. She wasn't going to let him be the only one who toyed with emotions, nor was she going to give him the reactions he wanted. _'If that's the game he wants to play.'_ She sauntered over to him as he backed into his bed, falling into a sitting position. Even with him sitting and her standing, he was still a little taller than her, that, or his bed was really high off the floor. "So, what's it gonna be, handsome?"

_'Good lord. This woman is tryin' ta kill me.'_ He was pretty smart, and he knew damn well the game she was playing. He'd been caught off guard and fallen onto the bed and she was quick with her movements. She had both hands on the bed on either side of his thighs and was leaning into his space now. Was this what it was like to be on the receiving end of torture? He was suddenly sorry. If he was having a hard time keeping from taking her, then how hard was it for her to keep from jumping him? He supposed he was asking for it, though he never thought she'd turn the game around on him. "Ya get any closer, Shorty, and there's no tellin' what might happen."

"So, I take that as a yes?" She asked, her big eyes staring up into his smaller ones. His poker face was faltering, and she could tell. She just needed a little push. She slowly moved her hands from the bed to his thighs, the unexpected contact causing him to hiss slightly. _'Yes! My first victory!'_

Gajeel hissed, the little minx had rubbed his thighs, dangerously close to his hardening tool. He gripped her hands, stopping them from going further. His restraint was barely holding on by a thread, and Blue wasn't helping much. He was one hundred percent certain she would win their secret battle of who was going to break who, but he couldn't give that win to her. Not yet. "Only if ya can control yerself around me. I don't wanna fear fer my innocence."

"Ha!" She laughed abruptly, stepping away from him and crossing her arms. "You wouldn't know innocence if it bit you on the butt!"

"Gihi! Well, I guess we're gonna have ta find out, aren't we?" He said, standing and heading toward his bedroom door. "But first, I gotta talk ta Lily."


	14. Chapter 14

**good Monday evening, readers! thanks for tuning in this far. sorry, I haven't gotten any further in the story. the last thing I want to do is rush things but now I feel like I'm taking things too slow. I'm focusing on adding more detail and I fear that I'm putting too much detail in the wrong stuff. idk. I'm 14 chapters in and I feel like I haven't gotten anywhere. Whatever. ill keep doing it how I'm doing it for now. but if it makes you feel better, I know almost the entire plot to my story so there shouldn't be any writer's block episodes or anything like that. I expect this to be a very hefty story.**

**(ALICIACEVBRA) Thanks for following my story! I'm super stoked that you liked that chapter. to be honest, I don't like love triangles either, but I want these relationships that I'm writing to be realistic. of course, there were other loves, but one grows and moves on. things between the two might be rocky at first, but they'll get better, I promise! but, no LALU this chapter, only gajevy! **

**(DOOMMARINE55) I'm so glad that you took the time to wait THREE MONTHS to come back and talk shit about my writing A SECOND TIME. I got some news for you buddy, I don't give a flying fuck if absolutely nobody reads my shit. I'm gonna continue writing and posting because I LOVE WRITING. and screw you, I have plenty of readers and even if I didn't, one reader is enough for me. go fuck yourself and have a nice day :)**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Oh, that's right," the blue-haired angel said, watching as he disappeared into the bathroom. "Lily said he had another job for you, but he was waiting for you to recover."

Gajeel stood in his bathroom, looking into the mirror. He had to admit, she really did a nice job of cleaning his face up. He ran his fingers through the hair that was pulled back, noticing it was free of tangles. He sighed internally; it must have felt nice to have her run her fingers through his hair. Too bad he wasn't conscious for any of it. _'I'm gonna have ta have her do it again.' _He turned his head, seeing the woman watching him curiously. He smirked. "Well, my _healer_ did a damn good job at fixin' me up."

She blushed, turning her head to the side and swinging a foot around bashfully. Why must he say things like that? "Um, I couldn't fully heal you, though. I wouldn't recommend you take any jobs until you're completely better."

He gave one of his signature laughs. Clearly the girl didn't know who he was. He could work through almost anything; some pain in his ribs wasn't enough to keep him from taking a job. Although, the thought of getting to see his dad again after so long was definitely enough. He walked a few steps to stand in front of Levy, who only barely came up to the center of his chest.

"Sure thing, Blue," he said, leaning down and putting his hands on her shoulders. "I have somethin' else ta do that's more important, anyway."

She raised a brow, wondering what it was and if he'd mind if she tagged along. "Like what?"

"That's why I gotta talk ta Lily," he grinned, liking the fact that she was interested in what he had to do. Of course, he was going to bring her with, but he wanted to take a shower and change into some fresh clothes first. He looked clean, but he felt dirty, and feeling dirty was probably one of the most uncomfortable things for him. His hands still on her shoulders, he spun her around and walked her into his living room.

"I'm gonna clean up a bit," he continued, finally releasing her. "You can watch tv, or whatever 'til I come back. I shouldn't take too long."

He descended back into the bathroom and shut the door, his mind spinning mildly. His life just changed drastically in the span of a few days and it would have been overwhelming if he hadn't dealt with stressful situations throughout his entire life. He pulled the talisman out of his pocket and stared at it intently. _'Did he communicate with me through this? But… how? I didn't even have it on me.'_

He placed the talisman on the sink and stepped out of his pants and boxers. He stood bare, in nothing but the bandages wrapped around his torso. "Time ta get outta these…" he muttered under his breath as he slowly unwrapped the white cloth. Finally, he was one hundred percent naked and his eyes widened; there was nothing but the old scars he had from his previous life. No burns or bruises. No evidence of being frozen from the inside out. Nothing indicating his nose was ever broken or his jaw dislocated. If it weren't for the moderate soreness in his sides, he would have thought he was completely fine. Dirty thoughts put a toothy grin on his face, _'I gotta give her my thanks…' _

He showered quickly, not wanting her to wait too long on him. Sometime during his shower, it dawned on him that he was going to have to keep his guard up from now on, and with her around… she was aesthetic. His attention was drawn to her, and only to her. How was he supposed to watch his back while watching hers? No doubt about it that whoever was after him would take notice of her and possibly go after her, too. _'But she's an angel. She's strong enough ta kick ass on her own.'_

He immediately felt guilty for thinking that way. He felt if he was around her, he needed to protect her, no matter what. He didn't care that she was capable of handling herself. He didn't care that she had the power to end his own life in the blink of an eye. _'I have ta keep her safe.'_ That was his only goal when it came to her… well, that _and_ to drive her crazy enough for her to lose her inhibitions and pounce on him.

He sighed as he stepped out of the shower. It was going to be hard to focus for the foreseeable future, but he'd make due. He wrapped a black towel around his waist and grabbed the dirty clothes that were discarded to the floor. Making his way to his closet, he dug around, looking for the perfect shirt to wear that would drive her nuts. It was a simple black tee-shirt that just so happened to be really tight on him. He usually only wore it when he worked out, but something told him the lady in his living room would appreciate the view.

He was just about done getting dressed; the only thing left was the talisman he usually wore around his neck, but he felt he needed to be… discreet with it. The last thing he wanted to do was trigger memories he didn't want her to remember. He could tuck it under his shirt, but given how tight it was, it'd be too noticeable. Also, what if somehow, he was in another situation where he was shirtless? He settled for keeping it in the pocket of his pants. He stood in the body-length mirror he had in his room and gave himself a final once over, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk. _'Yeah, that oughta get her riled up.'_

Levy flipped through the channels on his old tv, wondering how he could be okay with living like this. He needed a new couch, a new tv, new everything! _'He's so good at his job, then he must make decent money.'_ She was wondering what he spent his money on when he emerged from his bedroom. Her mouth was left agape as she scanned him from head to toe. He had on the same black boots he had on before, a pair of khaki cargo pants that fit his toned legs nicely, and a shirt so tight, she could see every dip and curve from the muscles of his abs.

She watched him smirk; she was sure his ego was sky high right about now, but she didn't care. Her hazel eyes continued to roam upward, glossing over the definition of his pecs and the perkiness of his nipples underneath. The sleeves were short, and they cut off right above his biceps giving her a glorious view of his now flexing arms. He'd crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall, causing her attention to be snapped up to his face.

Had she said how beautiful this man truly was? His dark hair, which was his most prominent feature, was wild but also tamed. It was hanging loosely down his back and he kept it out of his face with a red and white headband. Thick side bangs hung on either side of his face, framing his sharp features. The metal on his face went nicely with his ruby eyes and high cheekbones, and his fangs? _Oh, those fangs._ They were just the icing on the cake.

Gajeel knew she'd react, but he didn't know she'd react so boldly. She was openly undressing him with her eyes and he couldn't help but feel a bit cocky. _'Maybe I won't be the one ta lose this competition.'_ He pushed himself from the wall and strolled to stand in front of her. "My eyes are up here."

He threw his head back and laughed when she glared at him. She wasn't stupid; she knew he wore that shirt on purpose. She felt silly for letting something so trivial get her all worked up. _'Maybe if I ignore him, it'll stop.' _She wished herself luck knowing ignoring him was out of the question. Instead, she turned her frown into a sweet smile and looked up at him. "So, how are you feeling now that you're up and walking around?"

"I'm about as good as I can get right now, Shorty," he said, looking for the keys to his bike. "Ya ready ta head ta Lily's?"

Levy stood from the couch and nodded her head. She followed him to the door and almost ran into him when he stopped suddenly. Curious, she poked her head around him to see what the holdup was and saw nothing but gravel and fog. "What's wrong, Gajeel?"

He turned around to face her, a blank look on his face. "How'd ya get me here ta my place?" He asked bluntly.

Levy blushed a bit at the memory of holding him so closely without him knowing. Fidgeting, she looked away trying to focus on something else. "Oh, I… um, teleported you here," she said softly. Why was she suddenly so nervous?

"By yerself?" He asked, surprised if she was able to get his dead weight here all by herself.

"Yes," she nodded. "It was hard, but I managed! You're heavy," she said as she smiled up at him, her nerves somewhat calmer.

"Well, that explains where my bike is," he said with a chuckle as he closed and locked his door. He leaned against the door and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Then teleport us back, little lady."

"Oh… um," she stammered, not really thinking that part through fully. It was one thing to hug and hold someone without them knowing, but it was another thing to hug and hold someone while they were aware and alert. _'God, could that have sounded more pervy?'_ She looked at him, trying to find the right words. No matter what she said, he was going to eat her words up like candy. She looked away shyly. "I kind of have to…"

Gajeel was fed up with her looking away when she spoke to him. He was definitely going to break that habit of hers. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "Have ta… what?"

His assertiveness always surprised her, and she loved it; it gave her a bit of a boost. So what if he was going to tease her? Let him do it. "I kind of have to have a firm hold of whoever I'm teleporting," she explained.

"Ya mean ya have ta hold me in yer arms, huh?" He said, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Well? Do it."

'_It wasn't always this hot in here, right?' _She gulped as he inched toward her with open arms. Her mind wanted to reject him, to not give him the satisfaction, but her body disobeyed. She caved in, leaning into his arms with almost no hesitation. His body was warm, soft, and firm at the same time. His embrace felt so inviting, and his metallic scent seemed… fresher. It was all so consuming, she could do nothing but melt into his arms. Her hands roamed his back, feeling the flexed muscles underneath the shirt that was basically a part of him.

He must have been lost in it too, because his arms tightened around her, pulling her closer into his body. He was a large man, and she felt as if nothing could harm her while she was in his arms. She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but he was the first one to say anything. "This doesn't look like Lily's bar," he teased.

"S-Sorry," she said, pulling away a little bit. His hugs felt so good; she made a mental note to herself to try and hug him more often. She looked up at him, her chin resting in between his pecs as she clasped her hands around his waist. "So, um, just relax for a few seconds. This may be a bit weird for you."

Gajeel was about to speak when his senses were overloaded by a blinding white light and a sound similar to rushing water. Is this what everyone who teleported had to go through? He hated it.

* * *

It was a few days when he last saw Levy or Gajeel and wondered how that pairing went. Lily believed they'd work well together when it came to taking jobs, and hopefully, for his goblin friend, that pairing might lead to something more since he was interested in her those few months ago. He was about ready to close up shop and get some rest when he felt energy appear in his bar.

"You can let go of me now," Lily heard Levy say. Her selection of words caught his interest as he stepped from behind the bar and peeked around the corner. _'Huh.'_ He saw the two standing in the back of the bar, Gajeel holding onto the small woman for dear life with his eyes screwed shut, and Levy squashed against his chest, her arms loosely around him.

"Jesus, woman!" Gajeel said, pushing her back a bit and holding her by her shoulders. He looked down, frowning at her. "Weird? More like unpleasant!"

Lily continued watching the two interact, chuckling as he watched Levy look up at him, pouting. "What? I teleported us here!"

"Yup, and it's the last time I'm doin' that shit!" Gajeel exclaimed, letting go of her and walking toward the counter.

The first thing Lily noticed as Gajeel walked toward him was what he was wearing. He wore his workout shirt, which he only rarely saw, and he didn't have the talisman around his neck like he usually would. _'He must have it in his pocket.'_ He saw Levy snap out of whatever daze she was in and scurry behind him, catching up to him and following his path. "What do you mean 'that's the last time you're doing this'? How are you going to get anywhere?"

"That's why I have my bike," the goblin said casually, spotting his reaper friend and slapping a hand on his shoulder. "Lily! Just the cat I wanted ta see!"

"Gajeel, Levy," Lily greeted warmly. "Nice to see you two again. I take everything is well?"

"Shorty here was nice enough ta heal me up and make me look good again," Gajeel said smirking at the angel next to him. He took his favorite seat at the counter and pulled out the stool next to him, motioning for her to sit. "C'mon, I won't bite," he grinned.

Lily went behind the counter, silently watching her reactions to Gajeel's boldness. She blushed, sitting on the stool next to him then facing Lily. "Lily, could I have another one of those teas?"

The reaper smiled, pulling out two glasses. "Of course, Levy. I also apologize for my friend's bold behavior."

'_Bold isn't even the word to describe it,' _she thought, eying the dark-haired man next to her when he wasn't looking.

"It's fine, he doesn't _scare me._" The words rolled off her tongue a bit more… enticing than she anticipated. Her eyes roamed his sitting form as she bit her bottom lip. That shirt looked like it was going to rip off of him at any moment and she was silently wishing it would.

Gajeel's attention snapped to the girl. Was she challenging him? Of course, she was. This _was_ a competition, after all. "Oh, I don't, do I?" A glint of excitement flickered in his eyes as he licked his lips. His eyes caught hers and he heard her breath hitch. "I should."

Levy put her elbow on the counter, resting her cheek in her hand. She smiled sweetly at the goblin, her will to not break first going strong. Her free hand sat in her lap, itching to reach over and touch him, to drive him crazy just as he was doing to her. "And why is that?"

Lily watched the two, cursing himself for pairing them up. He was unaware of the chemistry they apparently already had, and he didn't want to sit and watch them shamelessly flirt. _'What have I done?'_ He'd already made both of their drinks, not that either of them noticed. Gajeel was too busy teasing her and Levy was too busy eating it up, and he couldn't see under the counter, but he could swear her other hand was reaching to touch his leg.

Lily's suspicions were confirmed when Gajeel inhaled sharply, grabbing her hand and holding it up and away from him. "No touchin', remember?"

'_Oh lord.' _Lily was baffled at _her_ boldness, not expecting it in the slightest. _'No touching?'_ When had they come up with this rule? Exactly what happened at his place? He watched as their fingers intertwined and fell under the counter, no longer seen by Lily but he was sure they were still connected. Lily was over it. He needed them to focus on anything other than each other. He cleared his throat, snapping the two out of their own little world.

"So, anything new, Gajeel?" He asked. "Want to fill me in on the details of your disappearance?"

Gajeel noticed the drink in front of him and downed it swiftly, pushing it in Lily's direction for another one. "Actually, there's somethin' I wanted ta talk ta ya about."

Lily poured him another drink and slid it over to him. "What is it? You're not in danger are you?"

"Nah," Gajeel replied coolly, downing the second drink instantly. "Nothin' like that. Although, I'm sure I gotta watch my back now, but that's beside the point."

"What could be more important than having to watch your back?" Lily asked.

Gajeel unwillingly untangled his hand from Levy's, digging in his pocket for his cigarettes. He deftly pulled one out and had it lit in no time, blowing the smoke toward the ceiling. "What do ya know about… dreams?"

Lily looked at him curiously, Levy mimicking the reaper's actions. "Dreams? What kind of dreams?"

"I dunno! I don't even think it was a dream. More like someone tryin' ta communicate with me through a state of unconsciousness," Gajeel tried to explain, getting somewhat frustrated. This was a touchy topic, and he didn't feel like explaining himself. He only wanted answers. Unfortunately, that wasn't realistic, and he knew he needed to explain somewhat. He looked at Lily, who had a raised brow, wanting him to continue. He looked at Levy, who's worried expression calmed him a bit. She definitely made things a bit easier to talk through, that's for sure.

"I… I think my dad reached out ta me, Lily," Gajeel said, his voice soft. There was a vulnerability in his voice that both Levy and Lily caught, the difference was that Lily knew why this was such a big deal, and Levy didn't.

"What…?" Lily asked, astounded. He pulled out a glass and poured himself a drink. "How? Talk to me, Gajeel."

The goblin took a drag then exhaled. "He… said he wanted me ta find him… that we had things ta discuss, but…"

Lily knew there was something weird about this; on any other occasion, Gajeel would have been ecstatic to finally find his father. Given his current sullen expression and darkened mood, there must be something deeper happening. He waited patiently for him to continue, not wanting to pressure him.

"Lil, I wanna think my dad was a good guy, but… something about that message told me otherwise," he continued, slowly breaking. He didn't have the time to really give it any thought until now, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. His dad was who he looked up to throughout his childhood. Gajeel didn't care what anyone else said about his father; the only thing that mattered was that he was good to _him_.

"I got this… this dark, ominous vibe… like he was a demon," he finished, his head dropping. No. It couldn't be that way. His dad was a good guy! He felt tears beginning to well up in his eyes, angry that he couldn't control his emotions. He felt a small hand on his shoulder and lifted his head, facing a pair of wide honey eyes. "Shorty…"

Lily watched Gajeel calm down at her touch, surprised he reacted so quickly. He'd never seen him like this and he was glad there was someone here to comfort him. "No matter what, Gajeel, I will always be here," he said, glancing between the two.

"Same here," Levy said, moving her hand up to cup his cheek. "I'll stay by your side forever." Her thumb wiped away a tear he didn't know fell as he leaned into her hand.

"I… I wanna find out fer myself," Gajeel said, glancing between Lily and Levy. His hand found hers and closed around it, locking their fingers together again. "I just don't know how ta find him or where ta start."

"Hm," Lily said, turning around and digging through a drawer. "I think I have a solution."

Gajeel's eyes lit up, nearly straining his neck to see what his cat was looking for. He pulled out a weird looking card with a name and some numbers on it. "I have a friend who can look more into your dream and possibly steer you in the right direction."

Gajeel took the card that was handed to him and examined it. "Those are coordinates. They should take you directly to her," Lily explained.

"Don't think I've ever been ta this place," Gajeel said, punching the numbers into his phone. "It's on a different continent than the one I usually roam."

"It's a bit away, yes," the reaper said. "But I think it'll benefit you."

Gajeel took a drag of the cigarette that was hanging in his mouth before putting it out. He was feeling a bit better about the whole thing now that he had a lead on some info. He looked at Levy, whose hand he still had ahold of as she sipped on her tea. He squeezed her hand to get her attention. "Yer comin' with, right?"

She smiled up at him, happy to be apart of his adventure. "Of course, Gajeel," she beamed.

"Great," he said, letting go of her hand and standing. "I'm gonna go check on my bike, then we can go."

Lily rolled his eyes as the goblin exited the bar. "He's obsessed with that thing," he muttered under his breath, digging around the drawer again. He pulled out the folder that was meant for Gajeel and handed it to Levy.

"Here," he said before heading toward the door. "Take that and give it to Gajeel when you think he's ready to take it. I'm going to speak with him for a moment. You can help yourself to anything."

"No problem," Levy said as Lily shut the door behind him. He knew she'd be too interested in the file to bother coming outside with them, which was good. He had a few personal things to discuss with his goblin friend. He strolled up next to Gajeel, who was cleaning dirt off his bike.

"Go ahead and say it," the dark-haired man said, not even bothering to look at the approaching reaper.

"Say what?" Lily chuckled, knowing all too well what was going on. "I was only going to inquire about that skintight shirt you're wearing, but I think I have my answer."

"What, ya don't like it on me?" Gajeel joked, letting out his signature laugh.

"I don't care, however, the angel in the bar thinks otherwise," Lily poked, wanting some reactions out of him. "So, tell me about it."

"There's nothin' ta tell," the goblin remarked, finishing up the inspection on his bike. "'Cept the fact that the girl's infatuated with me."

"Oh, my friend," Lily said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think the feeling is mutual. In fact, I think the feeling is more than mutual, given that you've taken to hiding the talisman from her."

That seemed to grab his attention. Gajeel's red eyes snapped to Lily, who was all but blatantly laughing at him. He narrowed his eyes. "Ya didn't say anything, did ya?"

"Relax," Lily said, raising his hands. "I knew you'd prefer to tell her on your own. She only knows we died together, that's it."

Lily watched his friend relax, and shook his head. "You're going to have to be honest with her if you want things to go well."

"Or…" Gajeel said, dragging out the word. "I could just _not _tell her."

"I think you'll be put in a situation where you'll have no other choice but to be honest," Lily commented. "It's best you do it before she finds out on her own."

"Eh, I'll cross that bridge when I get there," the goblin replied, brushing his advice away when a thought popped into his head. "Oh, yeah. Why didn't ya tell me she was the one who wanted ta work with me?"

"I knew it!" Lily's face lit up in excitement. He loved it when his hunches were right. "I didn't know it was her at the time, but I _did_ have a hunch that it was her when she stopped by. Why? Would that have changed your mind?"

Gajeel glared at Lily. He knew damn well he would have much rather gone back to the bar than gotten kidnapped, but everything happened for a reason, right? "Oh, shut it, cat."

"So, what's this about 'no touching'?" Lily chuckled, changing the subject. He wasn't sure why he asked. Did he even want to know? It was too late; the cat was already out of the bag. He glanced at his goblin friend, seeing a devious grin spread across his face. _'I knew I shouldn't have asked.'_

"Hey, don't look at me," Gajeel laughed, his hands raised now. "It was her idea. All I told her was she had ta follow her rule too."

Lily had to stifle another laugh as he eyed his friend. Were they serious? They've been all over each other since they arrived at the bar. "I don't think either of you are doing well at keeping that rule in effect."

"I know," Gajeel said sighing and staring off into the distant fog. "She can't keep her hands off me."

All Lily could do was shake his head at his cockiness. He was so full of himself, he wasn't sure how Levy was able to tolerate this side of him. "That's not what I said, but alright."

"We kinda have this unspoken competition going on of who's break first," Gajeel said, imagining the tiny angel straddling his body.

Lily could only imagine what he meant. There was no telling with him. "And by 'break', you mean…?"

"I mean who's gonna cave first," he explained, walking back toward the door and leaving a slightly confused Lily standing in place. "Oh, and thanks, by the way."

"For?" Lily questioned.

"I know ya set us up. How else did she know where I lived?" Gajeel looked back at his cat before entering the bar. "This is easily the best thing anyone has done fer me, Lil."

Levy had just finished flipping through the file when Gajeel came back into the bar. She smiled brightly at him, and it made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, though, he'd never say that out loud. He returned her smile and stood in front of her, extending a hand. "Ya ready ta go, Shorty?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Good Wednesday evening my dear readers! this chapter is a bit longer than I expected it would be, but overall I'm really satisfied with it. originally, I planned for half of it to be about gajeel and levy and the other half about laxus and lucy, but my mind got the best of me and I just ran with gajevy for the whole chapter. next chapter will be lalu, I swear! but seriously, this may be one of my favorite chapters so far. I spent like 15 hours on it yesterday and I couldn't be happier with the results. I love writing! **

**(GUEST) ****honestly, I try to make them have this really strong chemistry that kinda stays under wraps, but I don't think I'm doing a very good job at doing so lol. they're gonna have this super intense sexual tension until they bang, which will be in the next few gejevy segments. **

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen **

Levy took his hand and hopped down from the stool, following him through the front doors. She stopped short when she saw a brand-new looking motorcycle. It was black and silver and it looked like he took very good care of it. _'Oh, so that's what he spends his money on.' _It was cool to see one, though. After the fallout, it was almost rare to see vehicles that were up and moving. Cars broke down and there was no one to repair them. Gasoline became almost impossible to obtain and looters would steal parts from any car they could get their hands on so they could sell them for money.

She was suddenly nervous; she'd never ridden on a bike before. Why did he have to be so stubborn? She could just teleport him to and from places, so why couldn't he just deal with it? She looked from the bike to his curious face, not really sure if she wanted to get on that… that death machine.

Gajeel stopped and turned to face the small angel, who was staring at the bike like it was going to eat her. He snickered, her lack of enthusiasm amusing. "What'sa matter, Shorty? Never been on a bike before?"

She shook her head vehemently as he gently pulled her closer to it. "It's my pride and joy," the goblin boasted.

"Such a shame I won't be riding that," Levy mused, crossing her arms and shifting her weight. She figured she'd be able to convince him to let her teleport them to wherever they needed to be. How were they going to get to Earth, anyway?

"Aw, don't be like that," he grinned. "It's a special bike. I got it from bein' so damn good at my job."

She watched as he sat on the bike and turned it on, revving the engine a bit. It was loud, but not obnoxiously loud. He turned and pat the seat behind him, motioning for her to sit. "Special how? It's still a death machine."

"Just get on, Shorty, and yer gonna see," he goaded, trying to coax her into at least sitting on it. He knew she was going to try to convince him to do it her way, but he just couldn't deal with that discomfort, even if it was brief. "And it's not a death machine if I'm drivin' it."

"I don't see why you won't just let me take you there," Levy complained. This goblin was stubborn, and she was used to getting her way most of the time. This was going to be an interesting relationship. A thought both she _and _Lily shared. The reaper was still standing outside, watching their interactions. He sighed, heading back inside to the peace and quiet as the pair went back and forth.

"'Cuz my bike can take us there," Gajeel replied plainly, watching the girl get a bit flustered.

"Well, how about I just meet you there, then." It seemed as though they were at an impasse. He didn't want to teleport and she didn't want to ride on his motorcycle. She wondered who would win _this_ round. She felt pretty firm on her decision, but sometimes, he made her brain all fuzzy and she would find herself rethinking her choices. All she needed to do was keep her distance and not look directly into his eyes. _'Fat chance.'_

Gajeel stood from his bike and stalked over to her until he towered over her, a smirk on his face and a glint of excitement in his eyes; he loved a challenge. He grabbed her chin, ensuring she couldn't look away. "Yer a spoiled little thing, aren't ya?"

Levy gulped, frozen in place as he leaned down to speak into her ear. "How about this: ya ride my bike this time, and I'll do it yer way next time." He straightened upward again and saw her flushed face. Man, did he love playing dirty. "Sound good?"

"That's not fair," she barely choked out. Why did he have to get her worked up? Now, she couldn't think properly and found herself following him to his bike.

"What's not fair, Shorty?" He asked, sitting on his bike again. "I made a compromise and got ya ta agree."

Levy rolled her eyes; she knew he knew exactly what she meant, but whatever. It then dawned on her that she could always get him just as worked up as he got her. Hatching an idea, she inched closer to the bike and placed a hand on his shoulder, using it as leverage. She threw a leg over the other side of the bike and gently slid her hands down his back and around his torso. The roar of the bike drowned out the groan that escaped him while she smoothed her hands across his abs and up his chest, but she felt the deep rumble as it ripped through his body and into hers.

Amidst her attempt to try to get him hot and bothered, her own plan backfired and she froze, her hands resting on his pecs and her cheek pressed against the soft hair hanging down his back. He'd played along with her little game and flexed the muscles under her hands, causing her to blush furiously. He had a higher power over her and they both knew it. He laughed when she stilled, kicking up the stand on his bike. "Ya ready?"

Of course, she wasn't ready, but she had no other choice at the moment but to nod timidly. She was equal parts nervous and excited, the anticipation growing the longer they sat. He revved his engine one last time before taking off quickly, earning a sharp squeak from the angel behind him.

Levy had her eyes screwed shut as the wind whipped past them, his thick hair blowing around her face. Did she like this? She wasn't sure. All she knew was her veins were pumping heavily with adrenaline. Each turn he took had her holding onto him as if her life depended on it. She opened her eyes as they slowed; they were still in the spirit world. _'How again was this bike supposed to get us to Earth?'_ She pondered, looking around at the nothingness that was around them. Nothing but grey fog and… grey everything else.

There was a particularly thick patch of fog ahead, and Gajeel seemed to be driving directly into it. Naturally, she tensed up and her grip around him tightened, forgetting completely about the pain in his sides. The fog encased them and she wanted to close her eyes again, but her curiosity continued to get the best of her. He continued his slowed pace through the fog for about ten seconds until they emerged, an earthly warmth and fresh air now surrounding them.

Gajeel knew the girl was in awe. She'd lifted her head from his back and he was sure she was looking around, and her grip on him loosened which he was silently grateful for. He remembered the first time he visited Earth again after he was reborn; it was literally a breath of fresh air compared to the spirit world. It was then when he realized that humans took a lot of things for granted.

He looked around the area they were in. It didn't look like it had been hit as hard as other places when the Fallout happened. There were a few cars on the streets and the buildings looked to be in fairly good condition. There were people out and about, but not too many people. _'This place must not have been taken over.'_ He let his mind wander as he drove around the outskirts of the town looking for a place to park his bike, settling on parking it in an abandoned garage.

Levy, who was still taking in her surroundings, managed to stand from the bike while staring at random things, trees, birds, the clouds in the sky. Sure, she could have all of those things in heaven, but they were fabricated, and nothing like the real thing. She honestly didn't know why the angels that fell wanted so badly to return. _'Must be a power thing.'_ She ventured a few feet away from the goblin, looking around as if she'd never seen things before. "Wow, I see why you don't spend much time in the spirit world," she said, turning back to face him.

"Yep," he replied, pulling a cigarette from the bag on his bike. "So, how was the ride?"

She was so caught up in the fact that she was on Earth again, she briefly forgot she'd just been on a bike ride for the first time, and to be honest, it wasn't bad… even though there _were_ a few turns he took sharply and made her a bit nervous. She wouldn't mind riding him— _with _him again. Could she give him that satisfaction, though? "Not really my thing," she said, trying not to let him catch on.

He took a drag from his cigarette and stared her down. "Not yer thing, huh?" He inched closer, her smaller feet taking tiny steps backward with each step he took. "Ya sure 'bout that?"

"Positive!" Levy chirped, quickly turning her back to him before she could get herself caught up in his aura again. She needed to change the topic quickly. "So, why'd you park so far away?"

Gajeel laughed, taking a final drag before smashing it into the ground. _'She's smart.'_ He pulled out the card Lily had given him, seeing if there was anything more to it. "I always park far out from where I need ta be," he explained. "I don't need shit stolen from my bike, and I don't care ta be around too many people. Sometimes, I even wear my mask."

Levy followed close behind as he started walking down a path that led into the town. "Your mask?"

"My mask makes me invisible ta humans," he continued. "I don't wear it much; the thing is ugly as shit!"

Levy hummed in acknowledgment, continuing to look around as nature's beauty captivated her. "I don't remember it being like this." She mumbled, not realizing he was listening.

"Yeah, it was like that fer me too when I came back fer the first time," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I tried ta get Lily ta live down here with me, but fer whatever reason, he's super happy with his bar."

"Why not just live down here on your own," the angel asked.

"Eh," Gajeel shrugged his shoulders. "I'd get bored. Can't take contracts if I live here. I suppose that's another reason why I lean more toward jobs that are here."

They continued into town, and along a path of small homes and buildings with an eastern flair to them, she was able to put two and two together. On the ride, their path was lined with dawn redwood trees. She read enough to know that these trees were only specific to certain regions in the eastern hemisphere. She remembered marveling at the beauty and taking in the sights she'd never seen before. "Who does Lily know over here?" Levy mused aloud.

"Who knows with that cat," Gajeel replied, stopping short on the sidewalk and looking around. "He knows a lot of stuff, so I can only assume he knows a lot of people."

Levy stopped next to him, taking in her surroundings while the goblin next to her finished doing whatever it was he was doing. "I guess he is a reaper and all, he's probably been all over."

"All I know is, this better be good," Gajeel said, pinpointing whatever it was he was looking for and walking that direction. "Come on, short stuff."

They walked for at least ten more minutes, bobbing and weaving in between apartment buildings and small businesses. She noticed the weird looks he gained from the townsfolk, but he paid them no mind, most likely being used to it. _'That's probably why he wears a mask.' _They eventually ended up in the remote part of town that didn't get as much attention as the main parts. The businesses were smaller and not quite run-down, but close to it.

"We're here," he said, stopping in front of an old, burgundy-painted concrete building with a black tile roof that curved upwards. The roof hung over a bit, giving the space a natural awning. There was a sign hanging from the roof, but it was in a different language, so neither of them knew what it read.

Levy looked up at Gajeel, noticing he was suddenly nervous. She took his hand, hoping to help calm his nerves. His eyes met hers, immediately needing her comfort. He was nervous, maybe even scared. He had this notion that he was going to come out of this knowing something he didn't want to know._ 'But I need answers!'_ This was his dad we were talking about.

"Look, I don't know much, but…" Levy started, squeezing his hand and sending nothing but positive vibes. "You're not alone. You have Lily, and now you have me. No matter what happens, we'll be by your side."

Gajeel squeezed her hand in return, giving her a small smile. "Thanks, Shorty." He faced the black screen door, which was barred so he could see the white door that was partially open behind it. He took a step to the door and looked around curiously, eventually settling for ringing the buzzer next to it.

A woman in the establishment shouted in a foreign language and a man shouted back, though it sounded playful, not hostile. A few seconds later, a face peeked through the door ajar and grinned before opening it fully and then the screen door after. Levy and Gajeel could both sense that the man at the door wasn't human, but they sensed no negative energy from him. "To what do I owe this _wild _surprise?" The man asked, welcoming them inside.

Gajeel stepped inside, the space was dimly lit with red and orange lanterns that were strewn up to the deep red ceilings and walls, there were wooden tables and chairs that served as seating and multicolored carpet that lined the floors. Incense was lit around the room which added to the warm and cozy feel. Levy too, took a liking to the new place she was in.

Gajeel pulled the card out of his pocket and looked at the name written on it. "I'm lookin' fer a Cana Alberona?"

The man turned, holding his hand up to cup around his mouth. "Hey Doll, you got some _very interesting_ people here for you!" He turned back to face the pair, examining their very existence it seemed. It'd been a while since he'd seen both a goblin and an angel, on top of that, she wasn't a Fallen, and they seemed to be… _together._ _'A very wild day, indeed,'_ he thought to himself.

The man was of average height, maybe a little under six feet, with black hair that he kept pulled up in a bun and covered with a white cloth. He was muscular, and wore thin blue armor that covered only his arms and shoulders with a pair of black pants. His most prominent feature, though, were the triangular-shaped markings under both of his eyes. A feature Levy made a mental note to look into one of these days.

"If you're here for _Doll,_ then you'll probably want to sit here," the man ushered them to a larger table that had several stacks of cards that were all face-down, and two red placemats, one on either side of the table.

Gajeel sat down and Levy sat closely next to him. When she realized how close she was, she scooted over a bit to give him some space. "No, stay," he said softly. He didn't want space. He needed to know someone was there with him. He needed to feel it. Who knew how this all was going to turn out? She slid closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"So, what brings a goblin and an angel to my establishment?" The man asked, very interested in the events that have just unfolded.

"I'm just here fer some answers," Gajeel replied. "Ya got somethin' ta drink in this place?"

Levy elbowed him in the arm, chiding him for being so forward. "Gajeel! Don't be rude!"

The man erupted in laughter, holding his stomach. "Man, you two are _wild!_ It makes my soul happy!" He slapped his hand on Gajeel's shoulder, his laughter continuing. "Course I have somethin' to drink!"

"You botherin' my guests?" A woman's voice came from around a corner. The three of them turned to see a woman with long, brown hair and a black bikini top paired with loose, brown pants. The man was immediately at her side, his arm thrown around her shoulder. "Not at all, _Doll_," he said, just before getting pushed off.

"Go get us somethin' to drink," she told him, making her way to the table that was now fully occupied. "So, which one of ya needs me?"

Levy took his hand under the table and held it firmly; she could tell he needed the support. Cana looked at the two, easily seeing it was _him_ that needed the help. She smiled, the pairing was odd, but it worked. _'An angel and a goblin, huh?'_ She could feel the nerves radiating from both of them, so she decided to break the ice a bit. "So, how'd you guys find me? Neither of you look like you're from here."

"I was sent here by Lily," Gajeel said, hoping the name would ring a bell for the brunette. "And Levy here is gonna be workin' with me from now on."

Cana tapped her chin, trying to remember a 'Lily', but nobody came to mind. "Lily? Is that short for something?"

"Pantherlily," Gajeel clarified, satisfied when her face lit up in remembrance.

"Oh! That black cat, right?" The man in front of her nodded and she remembered when Lily himself came to her needing guidance. "Does he still have that stick up his butt?"

Gajeel joined her in a laugh, barely able to sputter the word 'yes' due to his giggling fit. It was true, Lily _was _reserved and always put too much thought into things. He also worried a lot and didn't like to show it, but Gajeel knew. He was his best friend.

Cana's laughter finally died down as she tried to catch her breath. "So, you're Levy," she started, motioning to the blue-haired girl. "And you're…?"

"Gajeel," he replied with laughter in his voice as a man emerged from the back with a tray graced with several small cups the goblin could only assume had alcohol in them.

"Took you long enough! What, did you ferment the shit yourself?" Cana joked as he set the drinks on the table and sat cross-legged next to her.

"Sorry, Doll," the man said, distributing the cups and then downing his own. "I wanted to find the perfect drink for your reading." He turned his attention to the beings in front of him, claiming the contents of another cup.

"Say," he pointed at the two, an empty cup in hand. "How'd you guys know where to find this place?"

"Bacchus, give 'em a break," Cana said, taking a drink. "You remember Pantherlily, right?"

Gajeel and Levy watched as Bacchus took _another_ drink, then laughed. "Oh, yeah! That cat had a crazy soul!" He went to reach for another cup when Cana slapped his hand away. "You know I like it rough, _Doll."_

"Oh, hush, and leave some for me!" Cana brushed away his comment with practiced ease, having been used to him for a few hundred years. "This young man here needs some guidance," she said, taking another drink herself.

Levy looked at Gajeel, nodding slightly to indicate that it was okay for him to talk about it. She felt it was a good environment and hoped he felt it, too. He took his first drink, surprised at how strong it was and how these two across from them could be downing it so easily. He was a regular drinker, himself but compared to these two? They didn't even look remotely phased. He sighed, finally deeming himself ready to open this particular can of worms. "Yeah, I uh, I need some help," he admitted quietly, a vulnerability in his voice.

Levy leaned on his shoulder, watching as the woman across from her picked up a deck of cards and shuffled them. How did she know which deck to use? Were they all the same, just split up? Maybe she was just that good at this. _'Lily wouldn't have recommended her if she wasn't.'_

"So," Cana said, taking another drink then placing a card face-down in front of Gajeel. He looked at the card, then to her curiously. She nodded, wanting him to flip the card over. His breath caught; the other side of the card had a very vivid picture of a destroyed land that looked like it'd been set ablaze. That obviously couldn't mean anything good. "First, tell me. Are you trying to find something or someone?"

His eyes widened; how did she know that much? He didn't even say anything other than the fact that he needed help. He looked over at Levy, who looked equally surprised. He was going to need a little more liquid courage for this. "I'm trying to find my father," he said eventually, taking a shot.

Levy saw the image on the card and knew almost immediately what it meant. _'Nothing good can come from pursuing this.'_ She knew they were sitting in front of two reapers, two very old reapers who carried a lot of knowledge, yet it was still surprising to her that she knew so much of his situation already. She realized that this must be a psychic or tarot reading shop and she had to have done this hundreds of thousands of times. It's only a matter of time before people and beings start exhibiting similar behavior. _'Her ability to read people must be amazing!'_ Levy continued watching silently, waiting on the meaning behind the card.

"That card represents where your answers lie," she said, shuffling her deck again and placing three face-down in front of him. "The card you pick should be relevant to you." She took another drink as he contemplated which card to pick.

_'Where my answers lie? The fuck does that mean?' _He frowned down at the card in his hand, not at all satisfied with that answer. Did he have to run through fire to find his father, or something? He looked at the other cards on the table, hoping one of them would provide a more clear answer. "Does it really matter which one I pick in the long run?" Gajeel asked, his eyes narrowed on the three choices. He suspected he knew the answer, he just wanted to hear it.

"Not really," Cana said softly. "Whichever one you pick, no matter the picture, will relate to you."

She nudged the reaper next to her, who sometimes like to sit in on her readings, but she had a feeling this one may be a bit personal. "Babe, go back to the room, I'll be back in a bit."

Bacchus looked at her and pouted. "Aww, Doll, you're gonna kick me out?" He laughed as he stood from the table, knowing she was serious. He was hoping to get lucky that night and wanted to stay on her good side; she took her readings pretty seriously. He walked off, but not before taking another shot from the table then snagging a bottle from a random shelf on his way out.

"Sorry about him, guys," the brown-haired woman said apologetically. "He can really be an ass sometimes."

"It's fine," they both said in different variations. They truly weren't bothered, well, Gajeel may have been on edge, but with Levy next to him, it made things a bit better. He peered down at the three cards again, his heart starting to speed up a bit. After what felt like forever, he picked the third card and flipped it over slowly. _'A cell?' _The image was what looked like a dark cell, similar to the one he was recently held captive in. Yes, this was relevant, but what did this have to do with anything?

"This card indicates that you were recently imprisoned by force, either mentally or physically," Cana said, reaching for another drink. "And you're gonna pick up all three."

Gajeel looked down, not knowing what to expect with the other two cards. This woman was clearly the real deal, and he was definitely going to get what he came for. He took a deep breath, picking the first card next and slowly flipped it over. There was an image of a symbol that was glowing a reddish-orange color. It looked like it was burned into the wall of a cave somewhere. Levy knew it was a sigil, but Gajeel was confused.

"This card is showing you how he reached out to you," Cana explained. "It's a rare communication method used only by…" she trailed off, not wanting to really finish her sentence. She glanced up in the hopes that he wouldn't notice and met his eyes, silently demanding her to finish her sentence.

She sighed, knowing this would shift the mood greatly. Looking over at the blue-haired angel next to him, Cana could tell she already knew what it was. "It's a communication method used only by demons."

Gajeel's heart dropped, his unwanted suspicions were confirmed. A darkness suddenly fell over him, not even wanting to continue this whole charade. Levy felt the change in his energy and linked her arm around his, leaning against him. He knew he needed to continue. He still needed answers from the source, and boy did he have questions.

He raised a shaky hand to rest on the final card, the middle one, the other two cards in his other hand. He didn't know what to expect to see on the other side of this card and he wasn't even sure if he was ready to see it. He looked up at Cana, who nodded gently, indicating for him to continue. He gripped the card turning it over slowly. Upon first glance, his eyes widened for a millisecond before he slammed the card back down. _'The… talisman?'_ Or at least just the same image of the dragon that was carved into it. He glanced at Levy, who was looking up at him curiously. Oh, how he prayed she didn't see it.

Cana watched closely at the reaction the final card got her. She knew exactly what was on it and what it was. She also knew he had it on his person; she could feel the energy from it as soon as they stepped in the door. She wasn't ignorant to the fact that the fallen angels were after the damned thing, and that's most likely why he was captured in the first place. Now, Levy's relation to it, and why he clearly didn't want her to see it was a mystery.

Levy only caught a glimpse of the card before Gajeel slammed it back down on the table. It looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't get a good enough look at it to get a clear view of it. Why was he trying to hide it? Was it something he wasn't ready to share yet? Gajeel cleared his throat, handing the three cards back to the reaper, who was very amused. "Ya got anything else?" He asked gruffly.

"Oh, we're not done here," Cana said with a smirk as she took a drink. "Don'tcha have any questions?" She figured she'd let him talk about what he wanted to talk about. Thank goodness she had great willpower, or she'd have been all over the whole talisman thing. It was wild to her that a lot of the craziness that was happening was because of that thing and it suddenly just wandered into her business. They better not have been followed. The last thing she wanted was drama.

"Yeah," he said, but he really didn't know where to start. Lily's words started ringing in his head, _'I think you'll be put in a situation where you'll have no other choice but to be honest. It's best you do it before she finds out on her own.'_ Ha! This is _not_ that time.

"Alright, it seems like you're having trouble. Hold out your hands," Cana said, sitting up straight as he did as instructed with a little bit of reluctance. For reasons unknown, he was startled a bit when she suddenly grabbed them. What for? He knew that was coming. Why couldn't he just _not_ be on edge? "I want you to close your eyes and go back to when he contacted you. Try to visualize everything as if it just happened."

He didn't want to, but he knew he had to go back to that dark place in his mind when he was in that cold cell getting the living shit beat out of him. He tensed up, bringing forth those terrible memories. He visualized the cell, and that droopy-eyed asshole who was among the top on his list to mangle. He remembered getting his insides frozen, then he remembered blacking out.

"Aha! Progress!" Cana exclaimed, happy to be getting somewhere. She pulled the energy from his memories, extracting information and basically getting to see what he saw temporarily. She heard the voice of a man and it was brief, but it was enough. At the end of the message, she got an ominous vibe, along with the blurred images of numbers and the face of a man who looked exactly like the one in front of her. She released his hands with a small gasp and wide eyes. She twisted her body to reach behind her, arms extended, looking for her map. "Why didn't you tell me about the numbers?"

Gajeel was stuck for a second, trying to process her question while pushing back those dark thoughts she brought out. "Oh, I guess I forgot," he admitted. He was a bit embarrassed to think think he forgot something that could have possibly cut their trip in half.

Levy looked at him, tugging on his forearm. "Numbers?" She asked, not wanting to be left in the dark.

"When his dad contacted him, he left some numbers behind, and this dingus over here failed to mention them," Cana said, pulling out a very old map of the world and laying it flat on the table. "Those numbers he left you were coordinates… coordinates that will take you to him."

"Gajeel!" Levy said, almost exasperated. "You mean to tell me that we've had the answer all along?!"

"Shorty, come on," he said, facing an annoyed angel. "There was so much happenin' and I couldn't keep track of everything. What, with ya poppin' up, and me gettin' kidnapped, and the will ta find my dad, I can't keep track of every detail."

Levy shook her head, leaving it alone for now, but she was definitely going to tease him a bit later for this. Their attention was directed back to Cana, who was carefully going over her map. "Five, two, two, three, three, three, and five, five, three, nine, one," she muttered under her breath as a metal pin landed on a spot on the map that was northeast from them. Her face paled, but only for a split second; she didn't want to worry them with her discovery. The only thing she was most certain of was the fact that they needed to go _together_, and if Gajeel knew what she knew, he'd most likely not let the girl go with him.

"Well, I have a location," she said, standing. She scribbled notes on a piece of paper then took a shot before handing it to him. "Is there anything else you wanna know?" She asked, her hands flat on the table.

Gajeel was majorly overwhelmed, but he got the answers he came for. He figured out how his dad reached out to him, and how to get to him. He also figured out what he was, which was going to happen sooner or later. He felt like he had enough for the moment. "Nah, I'm good," he said, digging in his pocket for his wallet.

Cana held up her hands, denying payment. She owed Lily one, and she just so happened to like these two. She hoped everything went well on his journey, and that the angel with him would protect him. "It's on the house. Just come back in one piece, and bring the cat with ya!"

"Thank you so much," Levy said politely, standing from the table and reaching for Gajeel's hand.

"Anytime, little blue," she said with a smile as he stood and took her hand, exiting the small business. She sighed and went behind them to close and lock the door. _'How cute were they?'_ She cleaned up the mess on the table and made her way back to her room where she found a naked Bacchus, drunk and passed out on the bed. So much for getting lucky. _'Sounds like a good idea, babe.'_ She took a swig from the bottle that sat on the nightstand and crawled into the bed next to him, the thought that this wasn't going to be the last she heard of this heavy on her mind before falling into a deep sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm sorry I made you guys wait so long! That was NOT my intention, and I will NOT be dropping the story, so don't worry! I had a really difficult time writing this chapter, and I'm not even sure why. I stumbled around the part when Lucy woke up, but after I finally got past that part, the floodgates opened and I knocked out a couple thousand words AND I even got a head start on chapter 17 so stay tuned. **

**Another reason it may have been hard for me to write was because my grandmother passed from the COVID at the end of April, and four days later I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me. so FUN FUN! now, I'm occupied with plans to move to vegas by myself and hoping to get my mind straight so I can upload more content. thank you guys for being patient with me, and I hope you'll stay tuned for the rest of the story! (which, by the way, I haven't even really made a dent in.)**

**(TORY72) I'm so happy you're reading my story and that you like it so far! I've been feeling a little discouraged because I feel this isn't really going where I want it to, but I guess this is something all writers deal with lol. thanks for your support!**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

Surprisingly enough, Laxus awoke before the slumbering blonde that lied next to him. His blue eyes fluttered open, staring at the eggshell-white ceiling of their room as he almost cursed himself for waking up early. Though, it was an intentional action; he had a long way to go until he made any progress and didn't want to waste his time sleeping if he didn't need to, but he was warm, and he had a comfortable weight that was both pressed into his left side and draped on top of him. His eyes shifted to said weight.

_Lucy. _His thoughts immediately went to the previous night when he returned from getting some fresh air. He was still in disbelief; she wasn't mad at him! She'd asked to lay with him! But why? Was she in her right mind? He wanted to do right by her and do this properly, and he was certain _that_ wasn't proper. Unless she liked it? _'No.' _He couldn't think that goal was to get to know her and hope that she'd eventually see him as someone other than a hard-headed angel. He knew completely that he sucked at expressing himself, so the only thing he could do was attempt to do it with his actions. _'But, if she's reacting like that, how the hell am I supposed to know what's right or wrong?'_

The weight against him shifted slightly and his eyes scanned the view before him. There was a bit of light pouring through the cracks in the thick, beige curtains, so he could see that they were still in the same position they fell asleep in, his arm wrapped around her with his hand resting lazily on her back, while her head rested on his chest and her left arm across his abdomen, her leg thrown atop his. Their comforter got somehow strewn haphazardly across the bed, so it was only covering their bottom halves partially. Her fair hair fell messily onto his chest and a bit around her face, a few strands dangerously close to falling into her slightly parted mouth. A small smile formed on his lips.

His eyes continued to roam, following the curve of her neck and over her smooth shoulder until they landed on the sheer blue top she slept in. The way she was laying made it so her chest was pressed tightly against him and the sight of it made him realize just how much his body was reacting to hers. He could almost see the dusky nipple that protruded from the swell of her breast, but it was covered… _'not by that top, that's for sure.'_

He pulled his gaze away to continue his visual journey and was rewarded with the view of bare skin. Her shirt had ridden up a bit, the bottom hem resting just above her lower back and sides, giving him quite the visual of her lacy black panties and the wide hip beneath them. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to rub his hands up and down her body. It didn't help that her thigh was hiked up on his leg and resting just under his groin, which was one of the things reacting to her.

He found himself internally groaning, trying to come up with a way out of this situation… preferably without waking her. Until she started shifting again, this time, moving her leg to be in a more comfortable position. _'Fuck!' _His free hand moved to hold her thigh in place to keep it from moving, or _rubbing_ against him, and she stilled as her breathing evened out again. Alarms started going off in his head when he realized his hand was sliding up and down the smoothness of her bare thigh as if it had a mind of its own, but he couldn't bring himself to stop until it rested on her ass.

An ache prompted him out of his daze, an ache indicating how long it's been since he'd been with a woman intimately. He never really got the urge to seek anyone out, nor did it often cross his mind, that is, until Lucy came around. He knew he was attracted to her since day one, it just never occurred to him that not indulging on said attraction would give him blue balls. He needed to get out of that bed before that hand on her ass turned into something else.

With all the might he could muster, he slid his hand back down her thigh and to her knee, off of her and onto the bed until it rested at his side. _'I guess I got to touch her,'_ he smirked inwardly. Now, how was he supposed to free himself from her? Half of his body was trapped under her and she wasn't _that _heavy of a sleeper… or was she? He could recall a few instances where she slept through things he definitely couldn't, but those were times of exhaustion. Was she that tired?

'_Look, man. You're gonna have to confront this eventually. Just get up, and if she wakes up, just deal with it.'_ He tried to give himself a pep talk, but he and the inner him both knew he wasn't ready. How would she react if she were to wake up and see him hard and raring to go? Would she talk about the previous night? He successfully placed that back into the depths of his mind under lock and key, and he wasn't sure if he was willing to dig it back out.

As luck would have it, she moved her leg, stretching it out so that it was no longer lying on him, but now next to him. That only left the impossible action of freeing his arm from underneath her upper body. Slowly, he inched his lower half away from her, cheering silently when he was finally able to put some space between them. _'Now for the hard part.'_ He glanced down, making sure she was still in a deep sleep before rolling his body from under hers. Her head gently landed on the pillow and he sucked air through clenched teeth in anticipation of her waking, then exhaled in relief when she adjusted herself and continued to sleep.

He tore himself from the comfort of the large bed and stood as he ran a hand through his short hair. His eyes zeroed in on the empty water bottle that was left on the small table in the corner of the room that encouraged his thirst. _'Let's see what we have to drink in here…' _He took a few steps, opening the mini-fridge when a styrofoam container with his name on it caught his attention. _'She must have brought me something from wherever she went the night before,' _he thought with a small smile. The thought immediately turned into guilt; he felt he wasn't allowed any niceties given the previous nights' incident. Though, he was at a small war with himself, '_she didn't seem to have too much of an issue with it.' _

His smile returned when he opened the container, as she seemed to remember small details about him that he didn't really deem important. Even as an angel, he still had a sweet tooth and would always find the time to indulge. _'It's been a while since I had chocolate cake.' _It took him maybe two minutes to finish the slice before he was in the bathroom, shedding his clothes. He could get a bit more sleep, but he had stuff to do and he didn't want to waste any time. He had it all figured out; he'd shower then get dressed and tell Lucy about the new plan. _'Let's just hope she's awake by the time I'm done.'_

* * *

"Mmm, Laxus…?"

Lucy woke up feeling a bit groggy and slightly confused. She lifted her upper body from the mattress and rubbed her eyes, looking around for the tall blond. Her face flushed when she remembered that she'd actually fallen asleep with him, _and _after an incident like that, no less! She remembered how comfortable she felt in his arms and how he pulled her tighter once they were settled in. Aside from that, she couldn't believe she was that bold! Sure, she wanted him to finish what he started, but judging by the way he reacted when he realized what he was doing… _'What, is he old fashioned or something?'_ She felt she gave him ample hints, but he just wasn't taking them! She was certain he was attracted to her, maybe she'd even go as far as to say he _liked_ her, but it meant nothing to her if he never acted on it.

Pouting, she threw her legs over the side of the bed as she finally registered the sound of running water in the next room. She knew he was most likely going to be ready to go by the time he was done, and she couldn't have been more on edge. She didn't want to talk about the previous nights' events! _'Honestly, I could just hide under a rock somewhere!' _

She stood and stretched, feeling better than she'd felt in a long time; she couldn't remember the last time she slept that well. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for a robe to slip into as her body barely held onto the warmth from the bed. _'I wish he would have stayed in bed a bit longer…'_ Her thoughts wandered while she covered herself from the slight chill of the room. There were a few things she wanted to do before he took her on their next journey. She wanted to get a few bottled waters and snacks for the road, and she wanted to take some time to help him come up with a plan on what to do next.

She slid into a pair of sandals and exited the room, the trek to the receptionist a chillier one than anticipated. _'Ugh, I should have put on actual clothes.' _She scolded herself internally, rubbing the sides of her arms as she shuffled down the hallway. She'd just barely made it to the lobby when a familiar head of orange hair caught her eye. "Loke?"

The head turned to face her, and the face attached to it lit up immediately. "Luce! I've been waiting for you!" The angel sprung from his seat and within a few large strides, had a dumbstruck blonde in his arms.

Confused was an understatement. How did he find her? With the way Laxus was acting, she assumed he'd taken her a decent distance from Loke, and here he was, standing right in front of her as if he were right next door. Of course, she was happy to see him again and to properly explain what happened, but she was a bit wary of his true intentions. _'What?'_ Had Laxus gotten into her head? _'No.' _She shook the thoughts away as she gently hugged him back. "Loke, hey, I want to apologize," she began as he pulled away and held loosely onto her hands.

"I didn't mean to just disappear on you like that, it's just… Laxus…" She couldn't find the words to say. What could one say in this situation? That a paranoid fallen was insisting that her good friend whom she trusted for years was 'no good'? That he all but demanded her to stay away from him? _'God, how's he gonna react if he finds out he was here?'_ Her eyes met his, and through his glasses, she could see him take on a slightly worried look.

"Yeah… about that," Loke said, glancing around. "I think we should talk outside."

"What? Wh—" Before the blonde could utter another word, Loke had nearly dragged her through the front door and onto the sidewalk. She had to admit, the warmth from the sun felt really good, and she could easily tell it was going to be a nice day. Her thoughts drifted to Laxus but were soon cut short.

"Luce," the angel said, bringing her back to reality. "I actually wanted to talk to you about him." He eyed her face, looking for any reaction, any emotion he could conjure from her. The first emotion she showed was irritation. _'Interesting…'_

"What about him?" Lucy was getting a bit annoyed. What was going on with these two? She could already tell Loke was about to say the same thing Laxus did the night before, and it was enough to drive her crazy! All she took it as was petty jealousy. She felt Loke was jealous because his old friend had a new life, and Laxus was jealous because a close friend reappeared in her life. Couldn't these two just move past this? She'd pretty much already chosen Laxus, so for Loke to try to persuade her otherwise was beyond her.

"How well do you actually _know_ him?" Loke asked, an eyebrow cocked. He knew that would get her attention, even if it was a question that upset her. He watched as her mouth twisted into a frown, her brows furrowed. Fortunately for him, he had information that would surely change her outlook on things. "Has he told you the real reason he left the bunker?"

* * *

'_Something's off.'_ Laxus was pretty good at determining when unpleasant things were soon to happen, and this was one of those times. He'd gotten in the shower in hopes that the sleeping blonde would be awake by the time he was finished, and as luck would have it, she was. The thing about that was the fact that it sounded like she'd left the room and the only thing that did was send his mind into overdrive. What if Leo was after her again? Granted, he did use the last of the little energy he had left to take them at least a hundred miles away from his tower, but even that was still relatively close. He brushed the anxious thoughts away as he finished getting dressed. _'No, she didn't leave, she's just…'_

The squeak of the bathroom door pierced through the somehow deafening silence as he emerged into the empty hotel room. The familiar, but unfamiliar feeling of paranoia began to set in as he glanced around the room. '_Maybe she just went to grab food or something,' _but that _something _in his gut told him otherwise. Faster than he could register, he was headed down the hall and toward the lobby, praying he'd run into her at any moment. His stomach dropped and he stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the one presence he didn't want to feel. He hated being right sometimes, especially times like these when the outcome would be a pain.

This only meant one thing: they were together, and now he was going to have to find her all over again. The angry blond stormed through the lobby trying to track the presence, not caring if he startled the other guests as he practically emanated anger. "_**Fuck**__!_" He'd finally gotten her back and now he had to waste his time and energy dealing with this asshole for a second time! Who knew where he took her? Now he was going to have to rely on his not-so-sharp senses to try and track them down… or Leo, more specifically.

What was his deal, anyway? Why was he so hell-bent on getting her on his side? He pinched his brow upon remembering how close those two seemed to be and how he didn't seem to be too fond of personal space, yet she didn't appear to be bothered by it. _'Could it be…?' _No. Laxus was pretty confident that he had her on _his_ side, so why did he feel so anxious? It was times like these when he wished he could track her down instead, but since she was human and he wasn't at full power, it was impossible… well, nearly, anyway. Besides, it didn't matter either way; once he found them, he was going to make sure he didn't go near her ever again.

He barreled through the small lobby, his composure slowly slipping as the presence led him through the front doors. _'This asshole took her outside?!' _As soon as the thought left his mind, his eyes snapped to his left and was met with a glare. It felt as if time stopped briefly while he and Leo exchanged unpleasant glances. He needed to act fast; he just _knew_ the orange-haired brat was going to take her away before he could even make it to them, and unfortunately for Laxus, Lucy's back was to him so she couldn't see the silent events that were transpiring.

"What do you mean, 'the real reason'? He left to take me away from Salamander!" Lucy exclaimed, a hand on her hip. It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious, but what reason would Laxus have to hide anything from her? She watched as his expression changed from serious to angry in a matter of seconds. "Wha—"

Swiftly, Loke had her pulled close with an arm around her waist, shutting off her train of thought. "Luce, I don't think we should talk about this here."

Laxus barely registered what they were saying before his eyesight was assaulted by Leo's continuous bold moves made on _his_… _'Shit!' _He grit his teeth in frustration. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could somehow muster up the strength to send some concentrated electricity in his direction, but there was no time. It'd been far too long since he'd even used his abilities and this one was quick on his feet.

He lunged, and with her name on his lips, he heard her yell for Loke to wait as they vanished instantly. If he'd jumped a second sooner, he'd have made it. Now, all he could do was give himself the false hope that he took her back to the tower, but even he knew Leo wasn't that stupid. But maybe, just _maybe _he was dumb enough to leave a trace.

The jagged concrete cracked beneath Laxus' fist before he stood and tried to compose himself. He needed to think rationally if he was going to make any progress in finding her… but he was so _pissed off_ it was almost unreal. How the hell was anyone supposed to stay calm when shit kept going haywire?

"Tch." He ran a hand through his short hair as he completely switched up his plans. Why was he so angry? Sure, he took a liking to the blonde, but in the end, she was her own person. She was free to make any decisions she wanted to make. Who was he to stop her? That thought led him to frustration. He felt he'd been worrying about the wrong part of this situation from the start. Why did Leo show up out of the blue, to begin with? What connection did he have with Salamander? Why is he posing as 'Loke'? _'Is he after the talisman, too?' _

He was frustrated with himself for letting his emotions get the best of him. It didn't help him solve anything, it only led to clouded judgement. How could he have been so oblivious to the real reason Leo showed his face after so long? It was all because of _her._ It was because of his consumption with _her. _He wanted to get closer to her, but he also wanted to find the talisman and stop Salamander from literally destroying the world. He just had to figure out what he wanted more.

Eventually, he thought back to what they were saying before they disappeared. What did she mean by 'the real reason'? And what did Salamander have to do with it? He had so many questions and it annoyed him to no end that he couldn't get any immediate answers. For now, he could only focus on finding her and putting Leo in his place.

* * *

"Loke, wait!" Before Lucy could get another word in, the faint sound of Laxus calling her name was drowned out by the sound of rushing water and a blinding white light and soon after, she found herself back in Loke's tower. Angry didn't even come close to describing how she felt. What was up with these angels and their habit of snatching her up whenever they pleased?

"Damnit, Loke! Why the hell did you do that?!" Lucy shouted, shoving the fallen angel a few feet away. "Why do you guys think it's okay to just take someone?! You better have a good reason for doing this!"

She started to storm across the room when he grabbed her arm in a futile attempt to get her attention. "Luce, just listen to me!"

"Honestly, why should I?!' She snatched her arm away as she spun around to face him. "Did you even hear Laxus calling me back there? God, do you even know what I'm gonna have to deal with when I see him again?!"

Dealing with Laxus was fine but dealing with a moody Laxus was not. She already knew how he felt about Loke; he made it very clear the other night. He was sure to give her an earful about leaving the hotel room in the first place, and to top it off she knew he was going to have a lot to say about disappearing with Loke. The only thing she couldn't figure out was why they didn't like each other. Obviously, she wanted answers, but she was too angry to listen to anything he had to say.

"That's what I'm talking about, Luce! He's not a good being! You don't even realize it, but he's controlling you! Why else would he be dragging you around? Do you really think he needs a _human's_ help with the talisman?" Loke gripped her shoulders, hoping she'd actually hear what he was saying. "Yeah, he left the bunker to get you away from Salamander, but do you really think that's the true reason?"

"_Excuse me?_" She couldn't even come up with a response. How dare he speak down on her like that! A human's help? She may be human, but she has the connections to get things done... or rather, she _had_ the connections. Since when was he on such a high horse?

Loke's eyes widened once he realized what he said. Of course, she'd take offense to that! Who wouldn't? "Come on, you know I didn't mean it that way. I'm just saying! The talisman is a supernatural object. It's not even supposed to be in a human's possession. Any angel knows that!"

Well, that was new information. Lucy had no idea. She assumed since Levy was able to keep it for so long without any issues, it was something anyone could possess. _'But when I think about it, the talisman affected her, just not in a negative way.' _She shrugged him off of her as she continued to sort through her thoughts. If that was true, why _was_ Laxus dragging her all over the place? If he didn't need her, then what was the point of going along with everything he says and does? This is something he would have known from the beginning, so why did he let it get this far?

"Luce," Loke called her name softly. He understood that she had a lot to think about, but he was only stopping by the tower temporarily. "Luce, come on, we should go. I only brought you here so you could get your shoes."

"Oh, right." She'd forgotten that her shoes were left behind when Laxus picked her up. Suddenly, she was hit with the realization that she was barely clothed under the robe she put on. "Wait, what? Where are we going? I didn't even have time to get dressed!"

Loke had to hold back a grin. Of course, she wasn't proper underneath that cheap hotel robe, and he longed to see what she looked like without it. "Well, you don't really need to wear clothes when you're with me, Luce."

"Loke, I'm being serious!" Lucy glared as she collected her shoes. "I'm not going anywhere like this. I barely have anything on! As a matter of fact, take me back to Laxus. I need to have a serious conversation with him."

'_Is he all you think about?'_ Loke really couldn't stand that tall, smug bastard. He's done nothing but get in his way and thwart his plans. This time, it wasn't happening, and he'd see to that. It already bothered him that they shared a room and maybe even a bed whenever they slept, and it was like pulling teeth to get her to sleep in the same bed as him. Did Laxus get to see her like that? Would she drop her robe for him? "Are you letting him take advantage of you, Luce?"

Lucy's face turned pink at the thought of Laxus actually doing something like that. _'Ha! I wish!' _There was no way he'd make the first move in his right mind. Sighing, she crossed her arms across her chest. "No, Loke. I don't even know where that came from."

"I'm just saying," he continued. "I'm sure you guys share a room at night. Why wear those things around him?"

Loke was well aware he sounded extremely jealous, but he was fed up beating around the bush when it came to his feelings. He knew she was aware of them, but he needed to make it clear that he wasn't going to let her go without a fight. After all, why wouldn't she choose him? She'd known him the longest and trusted him the most. In his eyes, Laxus didn't even stand a chance.

Lucy, on the other hand, was getting really annoyed with Loke's 'new and improved' attitude. She understood if he was upset at her leaving without a word, but that was no reason for him to just come in like a wrecking ball.

"Maybe because I like to sleep comfortably? Or maybe it's none of your business what I do when I'm not with you," she spat, a finger in his chest. "What's it to you? You think just because you tell me he may have some ulterior motive I'll just go along with whatever you say? I think I'd rather hear it from Laxus directly."

"I don't think it's a good idea to be around him right now, Luce," he said, trying to figure out a way to word his next statement.

"You know, I'm really not liking this attitude of yours," the blonde said, facing away from him. "I don't know what happened between yesterday and today, but I don't like it. You're being really aggressive."

"I'm only being aggressive because you're hard-headed! You don't listen unless something bad happens!" Now, it was his turn to be frustrated. Why couldn't she just trust him for once? "As long as you're with me, nothing bad would happen to you! Why can't you understand that? He's nothing but trouble!"

"Loke!" Her arms went up in frustration as she paced back and forth in the small space. "What _don't_ you understand? Nothing bad has happened yet while I've been with him! And honestly, he makes me feel safe! So even if something bad _were_ to happen, I wouldn't be nervous or afraid because I know he'd make sure I'm alright!"

"That's absolutely rich coming from the same girl who was left in an unknown city to fend for herself for days! Did he take care of you then, hmm?" He knew he struck a chord, but he felt it needed to be said. How else could he get his point across?

"Look," she started, coming back to poke him in the chest a bit more. "He may have made some poor choices, but he's never done anything that would put me in harm's way! But you! You've done nothing but talk down on him ever since I saw you again for the first time in years! Nothing positive to say, only negative! You know, when he took me, I yelled at him, and you know what his response was? 'I'm sorry, I'll do better.' Yet, you can't even be the bigger person and admit that you can see that I'm actually happy with him! There's nothing wrong with disliking him, just don't put him down when you know absolutely _nothing _about him!"

Loke stood there and let her yell. Whatever she needed to do to feel better, he'd let her do it. At the end of the day, he was confident that he'd get her on his side. All she needed was a little push, and he had the information to do it.

"Lucy, we should really go," he said, practically brushing away everything she just said and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He knew he just added fuel to the fire, but he really wanted to leave before Laxus showed up. In all honesty, he planned to have her before he noticed, but this time he realized almost instantly, which put a slight damper on his plans.

Lucy clenched her fists, ready to unleash her wrath. "Loke, I swear to God, if you take me anywhere other than back to the hotel, I will never forgive you!"

A risk he was willing to take.


	17. Chapter 17

**thank you for the new favs and follows and welcome new readers! its been three days, and I'm ready to post another Lalu chapter! now, the only question is... who's ready for the smut?! WELL, there will be none this chapter (sorry lol) but we're getting dangerously close to it! I'm excited to see where my imagination takes me, too. I'm working on chapter 18 right now as well too, so stay tuned for that one in a few days. I don't know if this chapter is a bit rushed, but I felt it flowed fine. as you know, I'm always open to questions and comments and constructive criticism. anything that will improve my writing! enjoy!**

**i wanna give a special shout out to (DOOMMARINE55)  who never fails to talk shit about my writing every single time I post a chapter! you must be my biggest fan! thank you for the views! you might wanna check your inbox though. it feels GREAT to have someone talk shit about something I spend a lot of my time and effort on! please, if you don't like it. don't read it, bastard.**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)**** thank you for your kind words. my grandma will forever be in my heart. my mom sent me a picture of her urn a few days ago. I'm glad she's at peace. and I totally understand that family members won't help. my grandma had 4 kids and only one of them (my mom) took care of her for most of her adult life. her sisters didn't want any part of it and it was a bit sad. as long as your granny has you, I think she'll be fine! hang in there! and yes, you're right. pretty boys are assholes lol and he definitely was a pretty boy! I think it's because they know they're pretty lol.**

**(TORY72)**** thank you! yeah, loke is kind of annoying, but don't worry, he gets put in his place! and thank you for your condolences, she's at peace now, and that's keeping me going :) and yes! I'm trying to take my writing somewhere and possibly go to school for journalism! and maybe minor in some cinematography. I'm super glad people like my work! it's an amazing feeling!**

**(RAO HYUGA 18)**** thank you for tuning into my story! my favorite ship has gotta be gajevy, and there will be more of those two very soon! stay tuned!**

**(GUEST)**** it's readers like you that keep me going! I couldn't just drop this story; I've invested too much time into it! keep reading, I feel it'll get even better!**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

A risk that got him punched in the face.

It'd been a while since he got to see her that angry, and he was immediately reminded why he never wanted to see it again. She could pack a punch! He rubbed his jaw in an attempt to ease the pain as she gave him the silent treatment. _'I guess the outcome could have been worse, but at least I have her! She can't ignore me forever!'_

He'd taken her to an underwater cave that he visited not too long ago. Since Salamander cast him away, all he could do was travel and explore, and this was among his favorite places. He decided to make that his getaway spot when he wanted to be away from civilization, and easily turned it into a habitable place… well, for an angel, anyway. He'd always been into natural settings and found it easy to build from the earth. He just hoped she liked it as much as he did.

After she punched him, she found a small, white marble table and sat there with her back to him. Her elbow rested on the fancy surface she couldn't help but notice as her hand propped up her head. She couldn't believe him! She really could not believe this angel! She knew he was impulsive, but to actually go against her? This was a first. Maybe he really did have something important to tell her; he usually isn't this extreme. _'I should probably listen to what he has to say.' _

"Luce, do you like this place?" He asked, seeing if she'd give him some sort of response. "I carved all the furniture you see!"

Of course, she liked it. She honestly thought it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. _'So much for listening to what he had to say.' _As soon as he opened his mouth, she just wanted to punch it again, and she wasn't too sure when she'd be ready to listen.

"Hey, come on, Luce," Loke said, slowly inching his way toward her. "Please don't be mad at me, you know me. I wouldn't do anything like this if I didn't have a good reason."

"I'm gonna take a walk," the blonde said as she stood abruptly and walked off, leaving a disappointed orange-haired angel to watch her distance herself from him. She really couldn't care any less at the moment. She only wanted time to clear her head and gather her thoughts while also getting an awesome view not many people could say they've seen.

She didn't know exactly where she was, but she knew she was somewhere near a large body of water. The cavern was several variations of the color blue, ranging from the rocks that were tinted a dark blue from the shadows and water that was a rich, royal blue and light blue, depending on the light that was filtering through. Boulders of different sizes were littered throughout the cave and jagged rocks that threatened to fall and pierce anything below hung from the ceiling of the cave as droplets of water fell from the tips.

It was surprisingly warm for being surrounded by water, and she could see herself being comfortable there. "Freaking Loke! He probably brought me here on purpose!" She muttered under her breath, walking and kicking rocks around until she reached a pool of water. Crouching, she tried to peer into the dark—almost navy-blue water to see how deep it was, but only saw her reflection.

Her reflection. She looked a mess. She'd just gotten out of bed and threw her hair up into a messy bun, which was messier now than when she first did it for some reason. She woke up feeling refreshed, but now she was stressed beyond belief. She sighed, the thought of Laxus worrying himself trying to find her tugging at her, but what could she do? As Loke rudely stated earlier, she was only human. What could humans do? She was almost certain that nobody could get into this cave without scuba gear or magic, neither of which she had. All she could do was wait.

'_Wait… That's all I've been doing lately. In every aspect.' _Whether she was waiting on Laxus for whatever reason or waiting for him to make the first move, all she'd been doing was waiting. Maybe he didn't like her like she thought he did. Maybe the incident from the previous night wasn't directed toward her. _'Maybe he was just having a wet dream and I just happened to be there.' _Maybe not. Was he even coming for her, or did he get fed up and go about his own business? Things had just gotten good between the two; she didn't think he'd become fed up so quickly. Maybe it was all in her imagination.

She glanced around, looking for Loke before her robe fell to her ankles. She only wanted to dip her legs in, but she didn't want him to see her in her sheer top and lace panties. She'd never get any peace. As she dipped her feet into the cool water, she got the urge to share this moment with her tall, gruff angel. _'My angel? Please.' _She was so used to doing almost everything with him, it was only natural that she wanted to share her good moments with him. '_But what was all that talk about him not needing me for the talisman? Is that true?' _

She'd like to think that he was keeping her around just for the hell of it, but she knew that would be too good to be true. That wasn't going to stop her from hearing it from him directly. Though, given how he responded the other day, it seemed like he had a hard time expressing his feelings. It didn't matter; he wasn't perfect, so all she could do was take in and appreciate the effort. A few times, the idea of staying with Loke crossed her mind, but she supposed that all depended on whatever information he had on Laxus. She was definitely curious, but was she ready to listen?

She slid a little deeper into the water, it now reaching her upper thighs, her urge to be with Laxus stronger than usual. The water somehow gave her a similar calming effect as he did whenever they embraced. Why? She wasn't sure, but she didn't hate it. It was quite the opposite. She wanted to shed what little she had on and submerge herself, but if she were gone for too long, Loke would surely come looking for her. _'That perv! Ugh! I totally wish I had some extra clothes!'_

She was unaware of how much time had gone by, but it'd been quite a bit. The once golden sun rays that shone through cracks and crevices now were a deep orange with hints of red, and the temperature got a little cooler. She'd gotten hungry not too long ago and kicked herself for not eating beforehand. What could she have done? It's not like she ran off willingly. What was surprising was the fact that Loke hadn't come looking for her yet, which was a relief. Eventually, she ended up taking a dip in the water and lost track of time.

She emerged from the deep-blue water, her shoulder-length hair clinging to her face as she broke the surface. She_ did_ feel a bit better after giving some time to think things over, and she felt she was ready to listen to what Loke had to say. _'This is annoying.' _She pinched her brow when she realized she didn't have any means of drying off. She only had two options: to either wait twenty minutes or so to air dry and pray Loke didn't show up looking for her or to put her clothes back on while she was still wet.

A small smile graced her face; she could hear Laxus now. He'd grumble and poke fun at her for forgetting something like that, but he'd help her all the same. What did Loke have to tell her? Would she really leave him? Was she even prepared to? She'd grown used to her days with him and couldn't see herself without him, but… _'things can change.' _

Another hour went by before Lucy found her way back to Loke, and he couldn't have been any more relieved. He took in her facial expressions and body language and could easily tell she was in a better mood than before. He watched as she sat back down at the marble table, waiting for the perfect moment to speak.

"I'm ready to listen to whatever you have to say," she said coolly. "But first, I'm hungry."

Luckily enough, she spoke first which was a weight off his shoulders. To him, it meant she wasn't super mad at him anymore and he had just the slimmest of chances to redeem himself. The woman wanted food? No problem! He'd go to the ends of the Earth and back if it meant she'd forgive him. He shot up with stars in his eyes. "Okay! Do you want anything in particular?"

Lucy looked at him with a blank face, not wanting to interact with him any more than she needed to. "Surprise me."

"Okay! Give me fifteen minutes," he chirped before vanishing, leaving the blonde to release a breath she didn't know she was holding. She just wanted to be alone… or away from Loke, specifically. Why couldn't things in her life just go the way she wanted them to? Why couldn't things be easy? No, that was too much to ask. But when she thought about it, she really kind of liked where things were right now. She was on the path to do good along with someone she deemed decent. She didn't want things to change.

Now, she was confused. Did she _really_ want to hear whatever Loke had to say? Who's to say he's telling the truth? Laxus had always been upfront about everything, and he had no reason to lie to her. Loke, on the other hand, had been MIA for a few years, and anything could happen in a few years' time. Anyone could change. It was obvious to her that _something_ was going on, and she hated being caught in the middle of it.

She looked around, actually viewing the space he made into his own. He even made a decent looking bed. It would be the perfect getaway if she weren't being held there… against her will? _'No, 'cus then he sounds like a kidnapper.'_ She needed to listen to his reasoning before she jumped to any conclusions. There was a chance he actually was looking out for her well-being. She sighed, resting her head on the cool marble. _'I miss Laxus.'_

She was aware she did almost a complete one-eighty when it came to her feelings for the stoic blond. She originally thought he was incapable of showing interest in anything other than finding the talisman. She viewed him as someone who really only looked out for themselves and didn't bother to open up to anyone. That is until he decided to show her a side of him she hadn't seen before and then some.

Why did she ask to lay with him last night? She had some idea that he wasn't going to continue where he left off, rather, she just wanted to be held. When he wrapped an arm around her, she wanted more. After experiencing comfort of that level, how could she be without it?

She'd almost drifted off to sleep when Loke came back with some of her favorite food. Even though she was still angry with him, she was grateful. As bad as it was to admit, he didn't _need_ to bring her food, so she still wanted to express her gratitude… after he explained himself.

Loke watched her eat while he gathered the courage to talk to her. She could be a bit unpredictable when she was upset, and he wanted to play it cool. _'I need to find a reason to start a conversation.'_ He studied her as she ate, looking for anything that could get him started when his eyes landed on her damp hair. "So, you went for a swim? I was wondering what you were doing all day."

Lucy snorted internally at his lame attempt to start a conversation, but she couldn't ignore him forever. The sooner she talked to him, the sooner this whole ordeal would blow over. She sighed, thinking back to the peace she found in the water. "Yeah, it was really calming."

"Oh, yeah?" Loke asked, intrigued. This specific location on the water had an odd habit of attracting lightning during storms, and he had the pleasure of viewing it once. He'd taken an interest and went exploring the area only to stumble across this cave. It also happened to produce a lot of electric energy, surprisingly enough. He walked to stand on the other side of the table as he faced her. "All that static electricity didn't bother you?"

"Static electricity?" She thought out loud, not remembering feeling anything out of the ordinary, but remembering feeling relaxed. "I didn't notice. Why?"

Loke placed both palms on the table, as he shifted his weight to lean forward a bit. "Let's just say that lightening frequents this place during storms. This was the only spot that wasn't as bad. Can I sit?"

"Go ahead," she said with a mouthful of food. Who was she to tell him what to do? "It's your place; you can do whatever you want."

"Yeah," the angel replied with a quiet voice. He sat across from her with only good intentions… well, good in his eyes. "But I want you to be comfortable, Luce."

"Oh, really?" She laughed out loud. "I couldn't tell! With you basically kidnapping me! But I'm sure you have a good reason."

"I heard some things and I just…" He clasped his hands together and fiddled with his thumbs. "Didn't want you to be in danger."

He watched her face as it stayed quiet and expressionless. He needed to play his cards right if he wanted her to be on his side. He supposed he didn't expect her to say anything, so why he was looking for a response, he wasn't too sure. "I was going to tell you about it sooner, but it must have slipped my mind while we were catching up."

Something that was supposedly this important slipped his mind? _'Sure.' _She eyed the Fallen before her, ready to get this over with. She didn't know why he was dragging this out. "So, spit it out."

"Well, I kinda have my ear to the ground so I can keep myself updated on things happening around Earth." Leaning back in his seat, he pushed his glasses further up his nose then crossed his arms. "Sometimes, I hear about things in the spirit world, too, but that's beside the point."

"You said something about there being another reason why he left?" Lucy inquired.

"As it turns out, your beloved Laxus is on the run," Loke said, trying to hold back a smirk. "Who'd have thought, right?"

'_On the run?' _Laxus typically kept to himself and stayed out of trouble. He didn't strike her as the type of person who would run from anyone or anything, let alone do anything that would get him in serious trouble. Then again, he was currently on Salamander's bad side so it could be a possibility. _'But wouldn't he have said something? Maybe he doesn't know?'_

So, this information was useful to her? Loke was briefly worried that he'd have to do some serious convincing, but it looked like she was already in deep thought about it. He wanted to continue, but he didn't want to be too pushy. "I heard someone was targeting him. I don't really know the reason, but I didn't know if you knew."

"I… didn't know. But…" She knew the life she was living right now wasn't particularly safe, but for him to actually be targeted…?

"Luce, I only want you to be safe," he said, reaching to take her hands in his. "I don't want you to be around someone who's being hunted. You think they won't notice you're together and go after you, too?"

"I guess you're right," she replied in a small voice. "But I still want to talk to him about it, first. Maybe he can avoid it, or something."

Loke chuckled softly; contracts that went through to the spirit world were _always_ completed. "I dunno about that, Blondie. They're pretty thorough when it comes to that stuff. Anyway, I just don't want you to get caught up in the middle of that and get hurt in the process."

Lucy softened up a bit at his explanation. He _was_ only looking out for her safety, but she'd been through a lot and felt she could deal with anything thrown her way. "Well, I appreciate the concern, Loke, but I think I'll be alright. If things go the way they should, then I think he'll be able to handle things if they go wrong."

Loke pulled his hands away and sighed. He saw what was happening. She was falling for this jerk! He just didn't understand why she would want to be with someone who didn't care about anything other than himself. What did she see in him? "You really wanna invest time in someone who's not going to be around much longer?"

'_Here he goes again.'_ Lucy groaned internally. Why couldn't she just be left to make her own choices? "It's not that I want to invest my time in him, I just want to talk to him about it first, _then _make my decision. I don't even think he knows what's going on!"

"You don't get it, do you, Luce?" A flustered Loke stood abruptly, his hands flat on the table again. "_He already knew! _That's why he was so willing to leave the bunker! Why else would he just up and leave the comfort of his home? You think he only did it for you?"

"Honestly, Loke, I don't care what the reason was! What matters was that he still took me out of a bad situation out of the goodness of his heart! He didn't have to rescue me!"

"'Goodness of his heart'? Please. There is no goodness in that man! Maybe it was just convenient for him somehow." He shrugged as he took a few steps back. "Either way, I want you to be safe. There was no reason for him to do it. Doesn't that seem weird to you?"

And he had the nerve to call her hard-headed. Lucy rolled her eyes as she felt the tension in her neck coming back to haunt her. "So, you're saying I would have been better off staying at the bunker myself, then?"

"I'm not saying you would have been comfortable, but at least you would have been safe!"

"Safe from what?!" Her voice rang through the cave a bit louder than she expected. "Safe from Salamander? Who could have killed me at any minute? Or safe from the stress of having to sneak around deceive people I care about? Safe from the person that just threw you away for no good reason?! Please tell me where you see the logic!"

"Lucy, you had your own space there! You were independent! You were able to live on your own! Yeah, you may have experienced hardships, but if you really needed to, you'd have been able to make it out of there on your own!"

She couldn't believe her ears! Was this really the same Loke she'd met a few years ago? He'd have never suggested something so absurd. What changed? Although, part of what he said was true. She _didn't_ have to rely on anyone, and she had a place to go home to whenever she wasn't with Levy. It was a nice feeling to be independent, but she wasn't happy. At least she was happy with Laxus.

"Besides," the orange-haired man continued. "I would have gone back and rescued you myself!"

"Loke," he watched timidly as she got up and stood in front of him, her arms crossed. "You really think I should disregard my happiness?"

"N-No," he stuttered, waving his hands. "But why torture yourself like this?"

"How is enjoying the present time torture?" She asked, putting a hand on her hip. "Why would I live for the future if I'm here, right now? Don't you think my present self contributes to the things that happen in the future?"

"You can't use the 'butterfly effect' on me, Luce," he stated in a matter-of-factly way that pushed her buttons. "All of us Fallens are literally the product of the stupid 'butterfly effect'!"

"So, then you agree?"

He was having a hard time coming up with a rebuttal. Of course, her happiness was all that mattered, he just hated the fact that _Laxus _was the one to bring it to her. He'd gladly admit that her mental well-being was more important than anything else… under different circumstances. He was going to make her see that she'd be just as happy with him than with that big brute. First, he had to convince her not to talk to him. When he finally went to respond, a deep rumble shook the cave. It wasn't a large one, but it was big enough to be noticed. He instinctively hugged her close, ready to disappear if need be when it happened again.

"Loke!" Lucy exclaimed, attempting to push him away. "Why did you bring me here if there was a storm coming?!"

Her words echoed in his head as the rumbling grew louder. Initially, he was convinced that it was a random thunderstorm, but this… this was a different type of storm. A storm he hadn't experienced in hundreds of years. He could get away, _'no, it's too late.'_ He could hide, _'no, it'd be pointless.' _He could stay and endure, _'well, that's really the only thing I can do.' _All he knew was he wasn't letting the woman in his arms go.

With an almost deafening cracking sound and bright light, Lucy's eyes widened at the sight of a very enraged Laxus. It was chilling the way he appeared directly behind Loke, towering over the two. Tiny, golden stems of electricity wrapped around his body as he _was _the picture definition if anger. Was she afraid? No, more like relieved. She wanted to break free of Loke's hold and leap into his, but it seemed his grip tightened. She flinched when Laxus dropped a heavy, electrified hand on Loke's shoulder. "Pretty careless of you to leave a list of your favorite places lying around."

Laxus' voice was at least an octave deeper, laced with venom. The electricity from his hand traveled down Loke's body, temporarily paralyzing him as Laxus pried his arm from around her waist. She too was frozen, not by his electricity, but by his dark aura. The scowl on his face and his piercing blue eyes alone were enough to make anyone or _anything _back down in fear, yet she was intrigued by it.

"Come with me," his baritone voice sent ripples through the currents as another bright light and cracking sound resonated through the cave, and with that, Laxus vanished with Loke, leaving a very stunned Lucy behind in her thoughts.

* * *

Not even five minutes went by before Laxus found Lucy in the same spot he'd left her in. He could tell she was stressed out, so he just wanted to forget any of this shit happened and move on. Since he was able to let off some steam, he felt a lot less angry than he did before. "Come on, Heartfilia," he said from a few feet behind her.

Lucy spun around when she heard his voice. He was finally here! He'd really come for her! His name was barely above a whisper on her lips before she lunged into his arms, finally getting that familiar and calm feeling she craved. She buried her face into his chest and as he held her tighter, she spoke, "Laxus… thank you, Laxus…"

He took in her flowery scent and sighed, resting his head on top of hers. "Would you hate me if I told you to never leave my sight?" It didn't matter if she hated it; she seemed to be developing a habit of disappearing and he was _not_ fond of it.

"No," she replied, pulling away and looking up into his sea-blue eyes. "I'd actually prefer it that way."

"Good," he replied, pushing her back by her shoulders and taking a good look at her. "You really should have put something on before you left the room."

"Why?" Lucy asked with a smirk. "You jealous?"

"Very funny," he said before quickly turning around. "Now, let's go. Being here just pisses me off."

"It's a shame," she said, grabbing her shoes and linking her arm through his. "This is a really beautiful place."

"It's also a great source of natural electricity," Laxus said, running a hand through his hair. It _was_ a shame. He would have liked to experience something like this with her instead, but it was silly to worry over something like that. He had plenty of time to take her to the hidden gems the Big Guy sprinkled around Earth. He glanced over, seeing that she was a little confused.

"So, my abilities are mainly focused around electricity," he stated as he motioned for her to follow. He wanted to walk around and take advantage of the electric buildup in the cave, and it wouldn't hurt to take a breather and look at something cool. "I dunno why, but this cave has a ton of it."

"He did say something about how lightning strikes the water here a lot," Lucy said, leaning her head on his arm while walking next to him.

"That makes sense, then," he replied, eventually coming to a stop at the same pool of water she'd gone swimming in earlier. He crouched down, peering into the dark-blue water when he had the sudden urge to swim. He stood and extended a hand to the curious blonde next to him. "Wanna get in?"

'_Okay, this is new.' _It was kind of funny to her how things just worked out sometimes. She literally daydreamed about getting in this water with Laxus earlier, and it finally made sense as to why she liked the way it felt as much as she did. It reminded her of him because he exuded the same energy. But, to see him actually breaking out of his shell was insane. She smiled and took his hand. "I thought being here pissed you off."

"Ah, yeah, whatever," he said, flashing into his boxers and stepping into the water. "I'm just trying something different."

"Yeah?"

"Hurry up and get in here." This cave was amazing. If he were able to operate at full capacity, this would be the perfect place to recharge. Still, this provided him with enough energy to get to his secluded island on the other side of the world. He grinned at the blonde, who immediately started gripping her robe and blushing furiously. Maybe he should smile more.

"You have to turn around!" Lucy huffed, her cheeks burning as she fought back a smile. She only planned to take off her top, but even that was enough to make her one hundred and one percent aware of everything happening around her. She was nervous, but she'd feel better once she was covered by the dark waters.

"Okay, okay," he laughed, facing the opposite direction. Why was he so excited? He heard the soft splash of the water as it rippled gently against him. Was that his cue to turn around?

"Alright, Lax…" Before she could even finish speaking, he'd whipped around and was standing over her within a few strides. She stared up at him with large, brown eyes, waiting… watching…

"I'm glad you're okay," he spoke in a low voice as he brushed a random strand of hair behind her ear. "I know that prick wouldn't do anything to you, but… it just sucked seeing him all over you like that."

A blush crept up her neck and covered her face. What could she say to that? She didn't really care for the way Loke was acting either. Nothing compared to being held by Laxus, but she couldn't tell him that… could she? She reached out to hug him and he happily obliged, maybe she could express it this way.

He loved the feeling of her half-naked body pressed against him. She was so soft and felt so delicate, he couldn't help but trace the curve of her back with his fingertips… which may have actually been a mistake. She'd arched into him ever so slightly and something in him awakened yet again. Why wouldn't this happen? He fought the urge to touch her more, but the need kept growing.

Lucy felt the same; fighting the will to feel him up was excruciating. What was stopping them? She needed a distraction. "Thank you for saving me again."

"Don't worry about it," he pulled away and smiled softly, unaware that his eyes were fixed on the line of water that he knew was just above those light pink nipples of hers. "It was nothing."

"Well," she continued, placing her hands flat on his chest. "It's something that keeps happening, and I feel bad. You shouldn't have to rescue me all the time."

Laxus grabbed her hands and held on to them. He never once considered rescuing her as a bad or tedious thing. Believe it or not, he cared deeply for her. He just had a hard time expressing it. Which was why he was getting out of his comfort zone and doing something with her that he knew she'd appreciate. As it turned out, it wasn't such a bad idea.

"I don't have a problem with it," he tried to explain. _'It sounded much better in my head.'_ He supposed he was just a man of actions, instead. "I really don't."

Lucy looked at him with a cocked brow, trying to decipher the true meaning of his words.

"I know, I know, that doesn't sound too convincing, but it's true." He placed her hands back on his chest and rested his on top of hers. "I'm not good with my words, so just let me be a man of action."

She put a cheek to his chest, his warmth all-consuming. She could easily tell she was falling into his very being, and she was perfectly okay with that. "I can accept that."


	18. Chapter 18

**thank you and welcome new followers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! the second half of this chapter finally has that gajevy a few of my readers (as well as myself) have been waiting for. I had to balance it out, the last gajevy segment was two and a half chapters so I had to do the same for lalu. I've been shoving these chapters out every few days, and I'm pretty proud of myself. let's see how long it is until I hit my next rut lol. don't worry, I have at least two more full chapters of content to write out so that gives me time to figure out exactly what I'm gonna do next. I started working on chapter 19 today, so again, be on the lookout for the next chapter!**

**(TORY72)**** I'm really glad you liked it! I was worried that it was rushed, but it's about time loke got taken care of... for now... hehehe =)**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)**** you know, I didn't really care for those two before I started writing about them, but the more I wrote, the more fond of them I grew. I think they compliment each other as well. I especially liked the fluff at the end of the chapter! **

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

When Laxus watched Leo blatantly smirk at him before he took Lucy away, it unlocked a rage within him he hadn't felt in quite some time. They never really got along, and he had his fair share of altercations with this asshole in the past, but he didn't think it was bad enough for him to do things just to spite him. Did he really want the girl that bad? _'Sucks for him.'_

As bad as it sounded, he wasn't too concerned for her safety when she was with him; he could see the obsession from miles away. He knew Leo wouldn't let anything bad happen to her, but he still hated it all the same. He was going to find her. No matter how hard Leo hid, or how many crappy wardings he put up, she would be found. First, he'd go back to his tower and see if he was stupid enough to stop there or leave any clues as to where he'd be. Then, once he gained the information he needed, he'd destroy it. _'You take what's mine, and I'll destroy everything you own.'_

Eventually, he gathered his composure and found himself back at Leo's tower, a faint pool of energy permeating the room. _'So, they were here…' _Laxus threw everything around, leaving no stone unturned while he searched. He flipped a table, sending everything flying across the room when a piece of paper that fluttered to the floor caught his attention. _'Coordinates?'_

Three locations he'd supposedly listed as his favorite. Right there, on that paper. Could he be at any of those places? All Laxus could do was hope. Though he was a bit surprised he actually made some progress. Looking at the coordinates again, he noticed two of them were relatively close and the third was a bit away. He'd hit the close locations first then use the remainder of his energy to check out the farther one.

Should he really destroy the tower? Should he really stoop to his level? He so badly wanted to burn it to the ground, but this douchebag was Lucy's friend. The last thing he wanted was for her to be mad at him, even if it was over this idiot. In the end, he decided to leave the tower standing, but wreck the inside of it a bit more. All Leo did was inconvenience him, so Laxus had to at least do the same.

The first location was a small turf house that looked like it was apart of the hill it was built into. The roof was completely covered in thick grass, and the front of the house was built from old, dark brown wood. He could easily tell this house was built over a hundred years ago, but it looked like it'd been kept up decently. The structure faced a very wide range of mountains and had its back to a small body of water.

He quickly understood why Leo favored this location, as it truly was a sight to see. It was quaint and homey, and it seemed like a good place to shut oneself away from society. Unfortunately, it was quiet and empty and there wasn't a trace of anyone anywhere nearby. As much as he wanted to stay and enjoy the scenery, he more wanted to put that orange-haired asshole in his place. _'That leaves two.'_

The second location was a remote wooden cabin situated on a busy river. The cabin was perched on a large boulder in a thick forest that he could tell was rarely visited by humans. Aside from the cabin, the surrounding nature looked untouched and natural, another place he could understand people and beings favoring. The sound of the rushing water was a bit too loud for his liking, though. If he had to choose between the two places, he'd definitely choose the first one.

After a few minutes, he'd gotten annoyed at the lack of presence around him. No, Leo wasn't there either which only left one other option. He was hoping they were here, especially since he was almost running on fumes, but it kind of made sense for the guy to choose the furthest location. Wouldn't want to be found too easily, would he?

Laxus pulled out the list of coordinates from his wallet and tried to pinpoint the location. _'Fuck!' _If he were smart, he would have gone to the cabin first and the turf house second. The third location was in the opposite direction _past_ the grass house! It would take all of the energy he had left to get there, and that frustrated him to no end. What was he going to do when he saw Leo? He was surely going to need the energy to beat that brat's face in. How was he going to do it with no energy? Who's to say they're even there? He ran a hand through his spiky blond hair, _'I'm pretty much banking everything on the hopes that he took her there.'_ He took a deep breath, preparing himself to be brutally disappointed and unimaginably angry.

The third location brought him to a beach. A beach with white sand, crystal-clear blue waters, and large rock formations that were carved by mother nature herself. This part of the beach was unreachable without experience, so he knew this place was also remote. He could immediately tell that this beach was a bit unusual; it gave off faint electric energy and he couldn't tell why. Not that he was complaining, of course. He could at least try to harness the energy and use it as his own.

Man, did this work in his favor. Being able to gain energy just by being there was a feat in itself. He wanted to try and understand this phenomenon, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. Where the hell was Loke? There wasn't a house, hut, or cabin anywhere in sight, so how could he have made this place habitable? He didn't feel his presence, either, but something in his gut told him to double-check.

He needed a flat surface, and sand wouldn't do. He went over to the rock formation to find a deep cave tucked away on the other side. "That should do well enough," he mumbled to himself as he ventured into the cave. He was thankful that the setting sun still gave him just enough light to see where he was going and walked until he came to a small pool of dark-blue water. He crouched, placing his palm flat on the ground and shutting out anything that would distract him as he concentrated. _'Found you.'_

Once Laxus sensed his presence, his brain shut off and all rational thoughts left his mind. This dick was underground? He must have been determined to keep Lucy all to himself. It'd been a long time since he used his abilities, as he never really felt the need to use brute force, but this guy was pushing his buttons, and the blond had gained more than enough energy to use them.

Enraged, he gathered electric energy into his fist and punched the ground beneath him. There was no real reason to do that other than to let Leo know he'd been found. Unholy thoughts racked his brain, thoughts very similar to the ones he had hundreds of years ago when he was human. He wanted to wring Leo's scrawny little neck. He wanted to make it so he could never walk or talk ever again. He honestly wanted to eliminate him. He was at war with himself. He always considered himself a decent being, but no one was perfect. It's normal to have these thoughts when the ones you love are in danger, right?

As a blinding, golden light, he vanished then reappeared underground, not exactly in the right spot, but close enough. Being this close to him angered him even more and it started to show on his body. Tiny stems of electricity pulsed from his body, mainly concentrated at his hands. Unable to control his bubbling fury, he punched the ground again. _'I'm here, motherfucker.'_

With another blinding light, he disappeared, then popped up directly behind Leo and Lucy, who was struggling in his arms. That was the final straw. Not only did he practically kidnap her, now he was holding her against her will? He was so blinded by his rage, he didn't register a stunned blonde staring at him with her wide, brown eyes. The electricity began to wrap around his body as he dropped his hand on Leo's shoulder, squeezing it with a force that would shatter any human's collarbone. "Pretty careless of you to leave a list of your favorite places lying around."

His electricity grew and snaked its way around Leo's body, temporarily paralyzing him. His first and most important goal was to free Lucy from his hold. He tightened his grip on his shoulder and used his other hand to pry his arm from around her body. "Come with me." The currents moved with his voice as he left the underground cave, taking Leo with him.

Laxus didn't want Lucy to see what he had in store for her dear friend _Loke_. He didn't want her to see him like this; he wasn't in his right mind. All he had were evil thoughts, thoughts that he worked so hard to keep out of his head, and he didn't want to show her that dark side of him. Once he was back above ground, he threw Leo through the first rock he saw, watching as he went through the sea stack and a few meters down. Laxus was quickly standing over him with clenched fists and a foot planted on his chest to prevent him from getting up. "You better give me a good reason to spare your life, Leo."

Loke smirked before shooting a few, fire-hot beams of light in Laxus' direction, catching him off guard. It sent the brute a few steps back, allowing him to get back on his feet. "Look at big, bad Laxus," he taunted. "You won't kill me."

"What makes you so sure?" Laxus countered, summoning a lightning bolt to strike close enough for him to fake him out and pin him back down to the ground. It took everything in him to not wrap his hands around Leo's neck and snap it right then and there. Instead, he settled for punching him in the face. "Lucy is _mine_."

He accentuated the third word with another punch to his face, not even bothering to give him the chance to talk. Fuck talking. There was nothing Leo could say that would make Laxus hate him any less. He was gearing up for another punch when another white light came from Leo's hand, and with his own punch to the blond's jaw, he freed himself again.

"All this for a human? You must really love her, don't you?" Loke asked, spitting out blood. He only said that to strike a nerve. He knew he wouldn't die by Laxus' hand… at least not while Lucy was around. So, he wanted to see just how angry he could get. He watched as his electricity grew from his rage, smirking at the display. Golden currents pulsed from his body, getting bigger the angrier he got. What he didn't anticipate was suddenly being put in a headlock. _'Ah, that's what I get for provoking a beast.'_

"As a matter of fact, I do. And she's more than 'just a human' to me. So, now, I gotta protect her from assholes like you!" Laxus already had an arm around his neck and Leo's scrawny fingers trying to pry it away, but that wasn't enough. He was right, he couldn't kill him or Lucy would never forgive him, nor would he forgive himself, but he had to do _something _to make himself feel better. Leo's hands shone, burning the arm around his neck, and immediately, the blond released his arm and appeared in front of him, kicking both his knees in and watching in satisfaction as he crumpled to the sand.

Cries of pain echoed along the empty beach and Laxus could honestly say he was pleased with himself. He didn't know why he was being so dramatic, anyway. It's not like he wouldn't heal in a few days or a week at most. He raised a brow upon seeing Leo open his stupid mouth to say something. "I… keep…"

Loke tried to speak, but the pain was overwhelming. "I… keep telling her… you're no good…"

Was this jerk really on the ground with broken legs and a beaten face still trying to talk shit? Did he not learn his lesson? "_I'm_ no good?!" Laxus shouted, kicking the injured Fallen in the stomach. "Says the one who kidnaps a human and holds her against her will!"

Loke coughed up blood as he held his stomach. Did he feel he deserved this? Maybe he deserved a little hostility, but in his eyes, he'd done nothing worthy of breaking limbs. He supposed he just couldn't reason with douchebags. "I mean… look at me… you did this…" He rolled onto his back, staring up at the now starry night sky. "How… can you… protect her… when you can't… even protect yourself…?"

Now, what was this asshole going on about? Protect himself? Whatever. He didn't know or care what he was talking about. He was done with this prick. "I don't give a shit what you have to say." He crouched down, getting about a foot away from Leo's face. "Stay the fuck away from her, or I _will_ end you."

With that, Laxus left him there to lay in the mess that he created as he met back up with a certain blonde who'd been standing in the same spot as she was before he took off with Leo. He just wanted to forget this whole thing and move on, but he also wanted to make sure she was alright. He called out to her, and her face lit up as she ran to embrace him. His name was soft on her lips as she thanked him, and he wondered if she sounded the same in bed. Pushing the thought away, he hugged her tighter and told her to stay by his side, and luckily enough, she obliged with no hesitation. It was a feeling he never wanted to let go of, and he was going to make sure he got to hold her every day.

* * *

"Well, Shorty, we should probably find a place ta hole up in fer the night."

The air was cool, the stars speckled the somewhat cloudy, navy-blue skies, and Gajeel left Cana's shop feeling a bit heavier than usual. At first, he was happy to have Levy with him, but after knowing exactly how his father contacted him, he was beginning to think this was a bad idea. She was going to find out eventually, and if things kept going this way, it wouldn't be from him. He couldn't even finish the reading because of the stupid thing! He'd slammed the card back on the table so fast, he'd be surprised if it didn't look suspicious. Did she see it? Does she remember? He needed a smoke. Unfortunately, he left his cigarettes on his bike and he didn't want to drag Shorty back with him just to satisfy his addiction, so he decided it suck it up for the night. He pinched his brow as guilt and stress racked his brain.

Levy noticed the change in his demeanor after the reading. What was it that he didn't want her to know? She was curious, but she wasn't going bug him about it; she figured he'd tell her if and when he was ready. Although, the image on the card looked awfully familiar and it was going to drive her crazy unless she distracted herself.

She agreed that they should find a place to rest for the night, more so for him than for her. He still hadn't recovered fully and she had a feeling this journey wasn't going to be pleasant either mentally or physically. Once they got to wherever they were going for the night, she'd work on healing him a bit more.

She glanced up to see a stressed goblin who wouldn't stop fidgeting. _'Oh! I know what he needs!' _A soft green, fiery looking smoke emanated from her hand, bringing forth the pack of cigarettes he thought he'd left on his bike. "I thought you might need these."

Gajeel looked at the blue-haired angel who was nothing but helpful the whole time she's been around, and he had nothing to offer in return. She was so thoughtful and pure, her aura almost blinded him. He was definitely going to make it up to her somehow. "Thanks, Shorty," he said, taking the pack and lighting a cigarette.

"Do ya have anywhere in particular ya wanna go?" He asked, taking her hand in his free one and leading her down the sidewalk.

She hummed to herself, looking around to see if there was a spot that caught her eye. Now that she was actually looking, she saw quite a few small inns and B&Bs that were pretty and quaint in their own way. Pointing in the direction of an older style inn across the street, she asked, "how about this one, here?"

"Whatever Shorty wants," he replied before taking a long drag and stomping it out. He wasn't particularly tired, but he'd rather go searching for his father in the daytime. He also knew that the small woman next to him wouldn't let him do anything else until he was healed. It wasn't a bad idea, either. It gave him some time to figure out how to keep her from finding anything out, even if it was a short amount.

He led her across the brick street and into the inn, greeted by more deep-colored reds and oranges that appeared to be common in this area. The inn was one story, and it was built from a timber frame. The beams that supported the structure were carved with decorative motifs that appeared to show the history of the town they were in. The walls were made of clay and sported faded foreign characters that were painted in what once was a bright red, and it looked like it was recently renovated with a new brown-framed glass pavilion that was taking up a small portion of the roof to let natural sunlight inside.

As she looked around, she overheard the employee at the front desk tell Gajeel he got the last available room for the night… a room she prayed had two beds. "Let's go, Short Stuff." He pulled her from her thoughts, grabbing her hand once again, taking the lead. What happened to them keeping their hands to themselves? They were both completely failing.

"They only had double beds," the goblin said, opening the door to their room. "But I'd be more than happy ta share mine with ya."

Levy's face grew warm at the sight of the sly grin he had on his face. _'Ignore him, ignore him.' _Yeah. Easier said than done. Huffing, she removed her shawl and plopped down on the bed closest to her. "No thanks, I'm fine here," she said with the sweetest smile.

"Ya sure 'bout that?" He shut the door and sauntered over to her only to stand in front of her and flex his muscles. He _had_ to tease her. "Ya sure ya don't wanna sleep next ta _all this?_"

If only he knew how much she wanted to take him up on that offer. Too bad for him, though. She was going to stay strong, no matter what! _'Who am I fooling? It's too bad for me, too.'_ She stood, more of her fiery green smoke coming from both of her hands fading away and revealing her duffel bag. "I think I'm gonna go take a shower," she poked his chest, moving him out of the way as she walked by him.

"Gihi! Ya won't be able ta deny me much longer, Shorty!" He had the best view of her ass as she breezed past him and shut herself in the bathroom. He took the opportunity to get comfortable and collect his thoughts while he still could; there was no thinking straight when she was around.

He debated on whether or not he should shed his clothes. He didn't typically like sleeping in anything other than boxers and sometimes a shirt, but he didn't want to send the poor girl into overdrive. "Damnit!" It slipped his mind briefly that he was supposed to be trying to come up with a way to meet up with his dad without her finding out about the talisman.

He sat on his bed and kicked his boots off. Maybe he could convince her to stay somewhere nearby while he went by himself? _'No, I don't think she'd be willing ta do that.' _Maybe he could tell her he'd rather talk to him alone? _'Yeah, that could work.' _He sat all the way back on the bed and crossed his arms behind his head. How did his father contact him, anyway? He didn't even have the talisman on him at the time.

Question after question flooded him, like how could he even contact him through the stupid thing? The majority of his life, he always suspected it had supernatural powers and this proved him right. Why did his dad have it? How did he get it? Was he connected to the spirit world somehow? Why did he get this really bad vibe from his message? It pained him to even consider the possibility of his father being a bad person, and all the signs were telling him he was. _'Fuck, man. I really hope my family was wrong about him.' _He wouldn't say he treated them poorly, but he definitely wasn't kind to them, and the guilt from that alone was enough to tear him apart mentally.

If only he hadn't left home that day, maybe his town would have been saved. If he hadn't left home that day, maybe he and his family would still be alive. His thoughts began to take a negative turn, anger and regret rearing their ugly heads yet again. When was he going to be at peace with himself? He wasn't sure if he could even make amends with anyone. When he died, the only person he cared about finding was his sister, Anna. At the time, he hated his mother and didn't even think twice about finding her, but now… there was a possibility that they were right and _he _was wrong the whole time and it was hard for him to accept that.

The sound of the bathroom door opening brought him back to earth, and he was wide-eyed at the sight before him. Wild, blue locks of hair were hanging free, framing her face. She had on a suede, burgundy tank top that stopped just above her belly button and short shorts to match that looked really good on her pale skin. Her attire was snug on her curves and it all but made his mouth water. "Cat got your tongue?" She teased, walking over to her bed, and setting her bag on the floor next to it.

He groaned; she knew exactly what she doing. He couldn't be mad, though. After all, he loved playing dirty, himself. It only made the challenge more interesting. He stayed silent and watched her lie down and roll onto her side so that she was facing him. He couldn't help but undress her with his ruby eyes, knowing she'd get all squirmy under his gaze. "Lookin' good, Shorty."

"I know," she said coolly. It was her turn to have a big ego, now. If she had to say, it did feel pretty good. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She gave him a good once over with her eyes herself, seeing that he was still fully clothed. "You gonna get comfortable?"

"I'm as comfortable as I can get," he said, tearing his gaze from the beauty across from him and fixating it on the ceiling again.

"Hmm, I don't know how anyone can sleep in a bunch of clothes like that," she said, trying her hardest to get him to at least take his shirt off. It wasn't fair that he was the only one who got some eye candy.

"Usually, I'll sleep in boxers, but I'm pretty good right now," he replied. He could see right through her little game. If she wanted him to take anything off, she was going to have to ask for it.

"You could at least take your shirt off, or something." Levy tried her hardest to not be obvious and she felt she was doing a poor job of doing so. "I mean, I'm sure you'd be more comfortable that way."

"Gihi, if my shirt comes off, the pants go too. Yer choice, Blue." He knew she wasn't going to be bold enough to accept that, but it was really fun to get a reaction out of her. He glanced in her direction to see her puffing out her cheeks. Cute.

"I mean, I get it if you feel like you won't be able to handle it being barely clothes in a room with me. Totally understandable." She rolled onto her stomach and swung her feet up in the air.

She was challenging him again; _'I shoulda known that would backfire!' _What should he do? Take the bait or try one more time? With her laying on her stomach like that, her ass popped out even more, and it didn't help that her cheeks were almost hanging out of her shorts. That was all apart of her game plan! Nope. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction. "I think _I _was the one ta wake up with a random woman feelin' me up!"

Luckily, she responded the way he wanted her to. She swiftly sat up on her knees, her tiny fists clenched in frustration. "I was only _healing _you! You think I'm just some crazy girl who jumps the first naked guy she sees? Come on, I have a lot more respect for myself!"

Just the words he wanted to hear. "Well, if ya say so, Shorty. Who am I ta deny bein' comfortable?"

He sat up and stood from the bed, removing his skintight shirt and tossing it to the floor. Then, just as quickly, he stepped out of his pants and was only in a pair of black boxer briefs. He got back into his bed, sighing contently as he leaned against the headboard. "The princess was right; this _is_ a hell of a lot more comfortable."

Levy was frozen in place; she didn't think he'd actually do it! She hadn't seen him in only boxers yet and, wow! _'He is truly a moving work of art.' _Her eyes roamed his toned legs against her will as she unintentionally bit her bottom lip. She suddenly began to wonder if he had studs anywhere under those boxers.

Gajeel couldn't have been more satisfied with how things played out. He'd successfully wiped her mind with his reverse psychology, and now, if he could somehow get her on his bed while making her think it was her decision, he might just win this bet. He sighed, carefully planning his next actions. Should he pretend to be in pain? That might work. He reached up, stretching his arms then grabbed his torso, sucking air through his teeth sharply. "Ah, fuck!"

And just like that, Levy let the nurturing side of her take over as she jumped to her feet and was standing next to his bed, a worried look on her face. "I'm sorry! I'm supposed to be healing you!"

It was incredibly hard for him to keep a straight face. Sure, he was a little sore, but nothing that merited any drama. He could read her like a book, and he loved it. What about her intrigued him so much? Did there need to be a reason? He showed a fang in a smirk as he gave her space to sit next to him. "Then get it done, Shorty."


	19. Chapter 19

**Welcome my lovelies! thank you for all the love and support! I've actually been lacking confidence in my last 4 chapters because I don't have anyone to proofread it for me, so all of it is done on my own. I'm sorry for any errors I may make! I'm a grammar nazi so I typically spend most of my time rewording sentences during my proofreading sesh. this chapter is all gavjevy, and I had a bunch of fun writing it! there's tons of dialogue and a few questions will be answered, so please enjoy! Be prepared for chapter 20! I'm _really _excited for that one ;)**

**(GUEST)**** yeah, I had to get rid of loke quickly! to be honest, I kinda wanted to make it seem as though lucy was gonna choose him, but the story did NOT flow like that lmao. and yes yes there's some good gajevy this chapter so I hope you enjoy! also, this douchemarine guy is mad because I made natsu the bad guy and laxus the good guy. he's just your average unloved laxus hater hahaha!**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)**** I totally agree! I still don't see her with natsu, as I don't see natsu ever being with anyone. he doesn't strike me as the type of character that's into love or relationships. even in my last story, it was kinda hard for me to even hint at them. but if they put that in the actual anime, it would have been fantastic to pair with laxus' character progression.**

**(RAO HYUGA 18)**** thank you, so much! I'm glad you liked it! sometimes it can be a bit difficult for me to write story without dialogue, but I got through it with ease, and the gajevy part of it was fun to write!**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

She couldn't believe she fell for it! Once she saw the smirk on his face, she fully knew he wasn't really in that much pain and his only goal was to get her over there! Should she retreat? No, it was too late. If she tried to back away, he'd surely grab her arm or something. She _did _still need to finish fixing him up, too. _'Why am I justifying myself doing this? I should make him beg for it!'_ She crossed her arms and shifted her weight, looking him up and down. "Looks like you're alright to me!"

"Oh, no ya don't!" As she expected, he snaked his arm around her tiny waist and pulled her down onto the bed next to him. "Yer gonna finish takin' care of me like ya promised."

In the end, she wound up on his bed playing his stupid game. Was it really stupid? No, more like fun. She just hated the fact that he knew just what to do to get a response out of her. She'd never met anyone like him. "When did I ever promise you that?" She asked, keeping her honey eyes on his ruby ones.

"When ya offered ta stay by my side."

He said those words so calmly, with no expression in his face. Yet again, she couldn't read his thoughts when she tried. Was it because he was a goblin? She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Not that she promised him she'd 'take care of him', or anything, but she did feel some sense of obligation to at least finish what she started. Without thinking, she placed a hand on his chest and slid it down his abs, resting it on that firm frame of his.

His arm left her waist and rested behind his head with a very smug look on his face. He wanted to tease her for just feeling on him again, but he didn't want to miss the opportunity to have her hands all over him; he'd let her feel him up to her heart's content. He laid there with his eyes closed as both of her hands now worked their way up, down, and around his midsection, and every inch of skin she touched felt like a trail of fire had been left in her path. _'Shit!'_ His body was beginning to react to her ministrations. He wanted her to stop but so badly wanted her to continue. It was taking all of his willpower to keep the blood from going downstairs. Did she know what she was doing to him?

Levy was fully aware of her current actions. She knew that instead of healing him, she was busy being pervy and rubbing him down, but her hands had a mind of their own! That thought of riding him up this headboard came back with a vengeance. Did he feel it too? Normally, he would have teased her about not doing what she was supposed to be doing, but instead, he let her continue. She peered up at his face, which had a very focused look on it. _'Why is he concentrating?'_ She then glanced down and saw his boxers at half-mast. Oh. Right. They both needed a distraction, and he didn't look like he was going to come up with one. Regaining control of her hands, she slid them to his torso as they began glowing softly. "So, how are you feeling now that you're one step closer to finding your dad?"

That question snapped him back to reality in an instant. Was she trying to come up with a distraction? Of all the things she could have talked about, why did it have to be that? The last thing he wanted to do was trouble her with his worries; he knew once he started talking about it, he just wouldn't stop. He grunted in response, hoping she'd just leave it at that.

She saw the screwed up look on his face when she asked about it and realized it may have been a touchy subject. She only wanted him to talk about it and get that weight off his shoulders. Did he have anyone other than Lily to vent to? "Well, I'm not sure if you have anyone to talk to about it, so just know that no matter the issue or circumstance, you can always come to me."

He knew she'd say something like that. He wanted to open up to her, but what if she saw him differently? He wasn't the nicest to his family and any good citizen would look down on that. He opened his eyes and looked to his left, a hopeful, doe-eyed beauty staring up at him with so much care in her gaze. How could he not give his all to her? "I'm nervous 'bout it."

"Nervous, why? Because you don't want him to be a bad person?" She asked, happy that he was letting her in.

"Yeah, somethin' like that," he said with a sigh. "It's just…"

He was in so much pain, and it was pain she wasn't sure she could heal. It sucked; all she wanted was for him to be at peace, and it was something only time and closure could provide. She silently urged him to continue.

"It's just… my whole life… I looked up ta him. He was my role model. My family hated him, and they hated the fact that I looked exactly like him," he explained, trying to keep it all from spilling out.

"Why did they hate him?" Levy asked, her voice soft and calming.

"They thought he abandoned us. And ever since then, I was the outcast. There were times when my own damn mother told me she hated me. She told me she couldn't look me in my face 'cuz I looked and acted just like him."

Levy stayed quiet and listened as he spoke. What horrible people! You don't treat your kids like that! If she could have met him while they were still alive, she'd have given them a piece of her mind! It made sense as to why this was a rough topic, though. Who'd want to rehash their family drama? She suddenly felt bad for even bringing it up.

"Fuck, man…" He wasn't an emotional person, but believe it or not, he was very family-oriented… At least, he would have been if his family weren't assholes. Then again, maybe _he_ was the asshole.

"And how do _you _feel about him leaving?"

Her voice was so soothing, and the combination of that and her warm hands made him want to let it all out. How did she do that? "I don't think he left us just ta leave. I always thought he'd come back ta us. But when he contacted me… I knew fer a fact that he was dead."

It started to come together in her head. His family didn't know that he died and took it as him abandoning them. Still, that gave them no reason to treat him like dirt. She waited for him to continue, letting him go at his own pace; she knew he had to unlock memories he didn't want to remember.

"He promised he'd come back, and I kept that hope fer almost twenty years," he said, keeping his eyes planted on the ceiling. If he looked at her, he wasn't so sure he'd be able to hold it in. "Only ta find out he died… In some aspect, I was right. He _didn't_ leave us. But… at what cost?"

Her own eyes started to water for him as he trailed off. This was an unfortunate situation and it sucked to go so long without closure. She thought to herself that meeting up with his dad would be good for him, and she'd be there with him every step of the way. She studied his face, it now showing the most emotion she'd ever seen from him. He was hurting so much; it broke her heart.

"But… there's somethin' I can't get over. My mom… and my younger sister… they claimed he was a bad guy before he left, too. And I defended him with everythin' in me." He paused, taking a deep breath then exhaling slowly. "But I'm gettin' a real bad vibe from all this."

Levy's warmth was everything he needed and more. She made him feel so comfortable, he felt he could tell her anything. He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve the care and attention this tiny goddess gave him. Why was he being tortured like this? "I… never got ta make amends."

"Amends?" She questioned. Why in the world would he have wanted to make amends with people like that? They didn't deserve any niceties from him.

"If he's an evil being… that meant he wasn't too good of a guy when he was alive." Gajeel had a difficult time putting those words together in a sentence, but they needed to be said. "And if that's the case, then that means… that means my mom was right the whole time. My mom, and my sister… they were only confused and hurt, but I treated them like shit! I was a fuckin' shit person and now I'm a shit goblin!"

After he choked out those words, he couldn't stop the tears from falling. He wasn't a crier by a long shot, and he was pretty good at keeping his feelings in check, but this time? He'd never spoken those words aloud before and doing so opened the floodgates. God, he felt so weak. What kind of grown-ass man cried like this? How was Shorty going to take him seriously now?

Levy couldn't watch him beat himself up like this. He was trying so hard to be strong, but he didn't need to! She suddenly felt the urge to comfort him. Grabbing his face with both her hands, she turned his head and their eyes met. She couldn't help but wipe his tears away with her thumbs as she brought his forehead down to rest against hers. "Gajeel! Do _not_ blame yourself! There is zero justification for them treating you like they did!"

He was lost in the fire that burned in her passionate honey eyes. Her gaze was so intense, it only made him want to cry more. How could she view him as a man right now?

"They were mean to you, first! They took their frustration out on you, and you only did what any normal person would do! You retaliated! They should have never shunned you. They should have never cast you out. It's not your fault any of this happened! It's not your fault that you happen to look just like him! You couldn't control any of this!"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. "You don't deserve to go through this much pain!"

In the end, she said nothing but the truth. Crazy enough, he'd never thought of it that way. His mom was the first one to be a dick to him, then his aunt, then eventually his younger sister hopped on the bandwagon. He still couldn't help but feel bad that he couldn't clear this up with them.

She was crying now, but why? Was his pain that strong that she felt it as well? Instinctively, his hand mimicked hers and cupped her cheek, wiping her tears away. "Levy…"

She finally understood that they needed each other. They were brought together and she didn't understand how or why, but she did know that fate made no mistakes, and they needed to stay by each other's side. He said her name so sweetly, with so much appreciation. She wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace, pulling him against her body. "I'll be with you always."

Her soft voice gave him goosebumps as he returned her hug. She was so small against him, he felt he'd break her if he were too rough. But he knew the truth. This woman was stronger than him and then some. If anything, she'd break him. Aside from that, she fit perfectly into his arms, almost as if she were made specifically for him. Were they supposed to meet? Was she his good karma? Holding her tighter, he inhaled deeply, her faint cinnamon scent calming his nerves. "Thank you, Levy."

They stayed like that for a bit longer, enjoying one another's presence. She brought him so much peace, and he brought her so much comfort, they couldn't help but grow attached to each other.

"Well, on the bright side, you're almost completely healed," she said, pulling away and smiling up at him. "Just a few more hours, and I think you'll be all better."

She continued healing him, sad that she would be done soon. _'Now, I won't have a reason to feel him up!' _She pouted internally, unintentionally adding a bit of pressure with her hands.

"Damn, Shorty," Gajeel winced. "Ya tryin' ta heal me or break me?"

Her face flushed when she realized her actions. Was she really annoyed that he was healing properly and that she wouldn't be able to _touch him?_ What kind of terrible, dirty-minded angel was she?! "Ah! I'm sorry! I was just… thinking about some things."

"Ya know," he started, crossing his arms behind his head again. "All I've done so far is bother ya with my problems. Sorry 'bout that."

Why did he think he was such a bother? She really didn't mind listening to him vent; it only meant he was opening up to her. "You're not bothering me, Gajeel. I'm happy to listen to whatever you have to say."

"Why don't ya tell me 'bout yerself? There ain't nothin' ta learn 'bout this guy," he said, offering her a soft smile.

"What do you want to know?"

"Hmm," he had tons of questions for her, but he didn't want to ask the wrong thing and trigger any memories from her death. Which one should he start with? "Why were ya wanderin' around the spirit world?"

She remembered when Lily asked her the same question, and all she could do was say it was for work. She _was _wandering around aimlessly, following _something_. At the time, not knowing what for. Now, she understood that she was looking for _him. _"I suppose I was looking for you, and by chance, I happened to cross paths with Lily's bar."

"Gihi, lookin' fer me and ya didn't even know me yet," he teased as he smirked down at the girl.

"Well," she said, not wanting to feed into his nonsense. "At the time, I was looking for the best contractor. It's funny, actually. I asked around and they didn't tell me who it was, but like a day later, I was told that the person declined."

Gajeel recalled that conversation he had with Lily before he was rudely taken by those assholes. He still wished he would have just agreed and gone back to his bar right then and there, but everything happened for a reason, right? "Yeah? And then what?"

"I just kinda walked around, getting rid of anything that got in my way until I was led to the bar. I was really tired anyway and he offered me a place to rest."

He wondered if she showed up before or after he came back. _'No, Lily woulda told me if she was already there… unless…' _Was Lily really that involved?

"I slept for a couple of days, and when I woke up, you were there," she explained, watching the gears turn in his head. "Not that I noticed you—or maybe I did. I smelled something metallic when I woke up, but I didn't think too much of it. Then Lily casually mentioned that he was paired up with the best contractor out there and that he just so happened to be a goblin."

Gajeel raised a stuffed brow in question. "What'cha got against goblins, huh?"

Her face showed this… low-spirited smile that saddened him. Maybe he shouldn't have asked that question. "Shorty… I didn't mean ta bring up anythin' bad…"

"It's okay," she said, beaming up at him. "It's not really that bad, it's just when I was alive, I was visited by a bunch of mean spirits. A good portion of them were goblins, so I always had negative feelings about them."

Her voice softened as she spoke, trying to sort out those fuzzy memories. "A lot of them were pretty dangerous… but there was a point where they stopped visiting me and spoke to me instead. I don't remember when or why that happened, but I guess it was better than having them attempt to harm me."

Gajeel's heart sunk. Wasn't he just one of those goblins that wanted to hurt her? He knew she had run-ins with spirits, given how she reacted during that encounter. Was that the reason why she wanted the talisman? He had no idea she had to deal with that and all he did was make it worse. How the hell was he going to live with himself knowing this?!

Did he think he was included in that group? She saw, or rather _felt_ the drastic change in his mood. He almost looked horrified. "Hey! I don't feel that way about you!"

Her attempt to cheer him up failed, a look of regret and sorrow written all over his face. Why was he so hurt over this? Does it really bother him that much that she felt that way? She knew he wasn't one of the bad ones, but he seemed to feel differently. "I told Lily about how I felt, and he told me that you may be rough around the edges, but you have no ill intent. Of course, I still had my doubts, but his reassurance and the aura I felt from you when you finally woke up proved otherwise.

"When I actually noticed you, you were laying in the booth and I thought it was impossible for you to be comfortable like that." She slid her glowing hands to either side of his torso, awed at the contrast between his tanned skin and her pale skin. "Lily was nice enough to tell me where you lived so I could take you there and fix you up."

Her eyes looked around nervously as she gave a small smile. "I'll be honest, you intrigued me since I first saw you laying in the booth, and the more I healed you, the more interested I became."

She actually admitted it, she said those sweet words. So, why didn't it make him feel good? He felt he was so damn unworthy of her. If only she knew the truth. All he could do now was pretend to play along. She'd eventually get tired of him… just like everyone else. He cast his negative thoughts aside and smirked. "Ya still interested, Shorty?"

A blush crept across her face as she smiled. She was definitely still interested, and the feeling only became more intense as time progressed. She looked up at him; she could feel his nerves. "If anything, I'm even _more_ interested, now."

His eyes widened in surprise; he didn't expect her to be so bold, but then again, she'd been bold this whole time. He grabbed her chin with his thumb and index finger, keeping her eyes on his. "Is that why ya wanted ta work with me? 'Cuz ya have a crush?"

She pouted as he laughed. She should have known he was going to make fun of her! _'I walked right into that one.'_ But it was nice to see that he'd perked up a little bit. "No, stupid Gajeel! I told you I already wanted to work with you before I even knew who you were! This was just a bonus."

His eyes wouldn't leave her lips as she giggled. Fuck, she was so beautiful, he wondered if she'd be mad if… _'Woah, wait! She almost had me!'_ He was almost losing himself within her, he began to think he might just lose their bet. His fingers left her chin and trailed down her neck lightly before resting behind his head again, leaving her feeling all tingly. "Ya never told me the real reason ya wanted ta work with me."

She calmed her nerves before figuring out the right way to word her next sentence. What if he viewed her differently? She knew she was going to have to tell whoever she was partnering up with, but she didn't expect them to be someone she'd be interested in! She didn't want him to think of her in a bad light, and it scared her that it was even a possibility. "Well… remember when I told you I was also seeking revenge?"

He nodded, extremely curious as to why this small, pixie-like woman was decked with melee weapons.

"When I was alive…" she began with a sigh. It'd been so long since she talked about this, and the only person she told was Lucy… She missed her blonde friend so much. "I was soulless."

Soulless? That girl didn't have a soul? That made sense as to why she was so numb to his being there during their… second meeting. It also made sense that spirits would come to her.

"That made me vulnerable to those spirits I was talking about earlier. My family was strict. I was homeschooled and I wasn't allowed to leave the house, but it was all for my protection. I get that." Levy looked at the man in front of her, who gave her the confidence to continue.

"They weren't the ones to tell me I was born without a soul. I found out on my own. Anyway, after I lost them during the Fallout, my best friend Lucy and I just kinda backpacked around, enjoying the freedom I didn't have before. After a few years, I started being targeted by the Fallen. They viewed me as a bridge between earth and the spirit world, and they'd send angels to try and get close to me."

She was having a hard time telling him what happened, and Gajeel sensed it. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest.

She let a few tears fall when she collided into him. He was a good listener; he made it so easy for her to vent. Was this what he felt like earlier? "The first time… I fell for it. I was young and stupid, and I believed every word anyone told me. I was so hurt. I gave him all of me… he was my first."

The tears flowed freely as she relished in the feeling of him rubbing her back soothingly. "I was so damn stupid! He had me in the palm of his hand! He was only trying to use me as a portal, or whatever! When I found out… I gave him the option to either never show his face around me again, or to die by my hand."

Her arms slowly wrapped around his waist in a full embrace. "He made the right choice and decided to disappear, but maybe a year later, another one came along. He had the same motives, but I didn't let him get nearly as far as the first one. I… I killed him almost immediately after I realized his true intentions. After that, one would come along every once in a while and the outcome was always the same."

Gajeel was stunned. So, _that_ was who she was killing. _'Impressive.'_ It wasn't easy to kill a Fallen, yet she was doing it with practiced ease. He remembered when she dropkicked him, sending him to the ground with no hesitation before she stole his talisman. He was too angry to be impressed at the time, but thinking back on it, it looked like she didn't even break a sweat. Though, it sucked that she had to gain that type of experience. He put his other arm around her, securing her as if she were precious cargo. "Lev…"

"Eventually, they got tired of me killing off their guys, so they sent someone… or something to kill _me_," she explained. "I was on the run for almost a full year…"

Then… he killed her. He didn't need to hear that. He didn't need her to remember that, either. He held her tighter, trying to shut that awful memory away forever.

"I… My memory gets fuzzy when I think about it, sometimes. I had… something they wanted… but I can't remember what it was. I think it was the same thing that kept the spirits from bothering me, too…" She racked her brain but kept coming up short. What was it that she had? Why did she feel like she was missing something super important?

"Anyway… what I want now… is to kill them all," she said quietly. She lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest, and he was met with a serious face. "I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you'd look at me differently. An angel killing another angel? Who does that?"

_She_ was worried what _he'd_ think? Didn't she know it was quite the other way around? If she thought that anything she just told him put him off even in the slightest, she was crazy. If there was going to be a time where he fell for her, this would be the time. She was so strong, even though it was forced. He was amazed that she was able to hold her own against the Fallen when she was _human._ He was amazed that she knew her way around weapons. He was amazed at how genuine she was even though she'd been through so much. There was nothing wrong with what she did in his eyes; she was only protecting herself. _'We're more alike than ya realize, Shorty.'_

"Levy," he said, moving a hand to her face. "I haven't been more attracted t'ya than I am right now. I think it sucks ya had ta go through that shit, and I think it's amazin' that ya were able ta take care of yerself. Ya didn't do anythin' wrong. Those assholes are the ones in the wrong."

Why was she worried, again? He was such an amazing guy; she should have known he'd accept her, no matter what.

"Besides," he said, rubbing her shoulders. "If ya had so much experience killin' these fuckers back then, why do ya need _my _help?"

She guessed she didn't really _need_ to work with anyone. It just sort of… happened. "That's why when I was told I was rejected, it didn't really bother me much. It was just coincidental that I ran into Lily and then you."

He wondered if the reason she was drawn to him was because of the talisman. Why would she like someone like him, anyway? He was just a heartless murderer, at least she had a real reason to kill. He didn't like the possibility of her not liking him; it made him so anxious. He suddenly had the urge to get rid of the damned thing. _'Fears I didn't know I had.'_

"I'll be more than happy ta help ya get rid of those assholes," he said confidently, keeping those thoughts at bay. "I'm actually lookin' ta kill those bastards, myself."

"What?" She asked, her hazel eyes staring up at him in confusion. Did he have issues with them too? "Why?"

Was he ready to relive his death? It wasn't like he didn't want to tell her about it, he just wasn't sure if he could keep himself calm. Every time he thought about it, it made him so angry. "It was the holiday season, and I was thinkin' about my dad. My aunt, my mom, and my two sisters were in the livin' room laughin' and havin' a good time when they called me outta my room just ta talk shit."

'_There's no way I won't have nightmares tonight,'_ he thought to himself as he moved his hands back down to her waist. "We got into it, and I left… like I always did. Like a coward… I went walkin' around 'til I realized I was two towns over."

He paused, wanting to skip the part where the girl he currently had in his arms assaulted and pretty much robbed him. _'Funny.' _He chuckled as he sighed. Life, right? "It was dark out and I figured I went far enough, so I went back home. Just before I reached my town, I… saw it burnin' from a distance, and my heart dropped."

He unknowingly hugged her tighter as he rested his cheek on the top of her head and inhaled. "I was around durin' the Fallout, and my little neighborhood was one of the ones ta be hit, so when I saw that… I had flashbacks ta ten years ago. I ran… I pushed through the burnin' streets and saw my house in flames. They singled me out… My house was the only house that was completely destroyed. I saw the dead body of my sister."

This was terrible! Levy couldn't help but cry for him. She'd take all of those assholes out by hand! She rubbed his back to calm his nerves as he spoke again. "I fell ta my knees and held her body… Then… one of them… they came outta my burning house… with my mom's head..."

He squeezed his eyes shut to stop the waterworks, but he just couldn't help it. "Then… That fucker stood in front of me and killed me, too."

He took a deep breath and sighed, calming himself down. "That's why I got the studs on my neck… from where he killed me. Got the same treatment as my mom."

Levy could do nothing but sit in silence. Neither of them had good lives, and they both had everything to show for it. He'd gone through so much, it was no wonder why he was so emotionless. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted to give him what he never had. She wanted to love him. They held each other for what felt like forever, sitting in the sad silence until they drifted off into their own deep state of unconsciousness.


	20. Chapter 20

***evil laugh* I'm gonna apologize in advance, but just know I love you guys dearly! thanks again for reading ;) ;) ;)**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)**** you are not the first person I've heard say that! it's just crazy because I never thought about it that way, but now that I do, gray wasn't really into juvia either, was he? hmmm, interesting lol**

**(RAO HYUGA 18) **** it was nice, right? I was kinda worried that I made gajeel a little too emotional, but I figured it was some heavy stuff and anyone would be emotional at that point. but I love the gajevy relationship the most in this story. there's a looootttt of love and healing they both need and I'm excited to see where it takes them ^.^**

**(TORY72) all I can say is ;) ;) ;)**

**(GUEST)**** I'm ecstatic that you thought my chapter was amazing, you don't know how much it means to see someone comment great things! it makes me want to keep going! and to be quite honest, I've kinda just been going with the flow in terms of their emotions, so I don't know how she's gonna react yet. I do know that gajeel is gonna drive himself crazy between now and the time he gets to his dad. their conversations triggered a lot of things for him.**

**;) ;) ;)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

'_Do this right?' _What was wrong about this? Lucy had never felt more right about anything in her life! As she sat on his lap with heavy hands around her waist, her need only grew. She could see clear as day that he wanted this too, so why was he hesitating? She traced her fingers up his shoulders and clasped them behind his neck, meeting his electrifying blue gaze with her brown one. His fingers drummed on her skin and she could tell he was itching to touch her more. The silk shirt that graced her body fluttered in the cool ocean breeze that blew through the open window; the chill causing her to lean against him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "Lax…"

* * *

"So, did you have an idea of what to do next?"

Laxus was carrying Lucy on his back as he trudged deeper into the water. Her arms were draped around his neck and her legs hung loosely on either side of his torso. She was buoyant in the water, so he didn't really _need_ to be holding onto her thighs, but it gave him an excuse to touch her. She already had her bare chest pressed against his back and he should have been satisfied with that, but he was feeling particularly greedy.

"Yeah, actually," he replied. He'd been too caught up in the blonde that it slipped his mind. "There's a friend I want to go see, a reaper."

He stopped and turned around, going back to the shallow end of the water. "The only thing is, she's on the other side of Earth, and we'd have to stop at my island for a day or two."

The island. There was only one memory that stood out the most whenever she thought about that place. Her face reddened and she was suddenly happy that he wasn't currently able to see her. She definitely wouldn't mind going back, but how could she say that without sounding too excited? "I don't mind! I don't mind at all!"

Did she forget that he could sense her emotions? Her aura changed with whatever she was feeling at the time. Granted, it wasn't something he paid attention to until recently, but it was one of the things that made him more interested. She was so excited to go back to the island, and he had a slight idea why. Did he have the willpower? Maybe he was overthinking it.

"Are you gonna need to rest a bit?" She asked, trying to play it cool. She _really_ hoped she didn't sound too overjoyed, and she would have probably died if he'd seen her face when she said it.

"Yeah," he sighed, letting go of one of her thighs and dragging a wet hand through his hair. "I've gained as much energy as I can from this place, and it's only enough to get a little past the island."

She slid off his back, her hands on his shoulders for leverage. "So, you'll be drained again once we get there?"

He heard her exit the water and kept his back toward her; he knew she wouldn't have wanted him to look… yet. "Yep. I only ever go there in between traveling long distances, so whenever I do, it's for a couple of days."

Lucy put the robe over her wet body, not even bothering to put her camisole back on. They were going back to the island anyway, and she was dying to take a warm bath. "Wait, what about my things? I left them in the room this morning."

Laxus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he turned to face her. "Yeah, sorry. I kinda… left everything there when I came looking for you."

"Laxus!" Lucy fumed, clenching her fists in irritation. "What am I gonna wear?! I can't go around like this!"

The angel held back a tiny smile at the fit the blonde was throwing. She pouted and crossed her arms as she tapped her foot impatiently. She was so damn cute.

"Relax," he said, exiting the water and approaching her. "My island is a magic island, remember? Well, the house on the island is, not the actual island, but you get the gist."

The tension lessened as he rubbed the sides of her arms. Oh, yeah. She'd forgotten that his little home had everything she needed there. It also just so happened that he was an excellent cook if she remembered correctly. That pasta he made was so delicious, she wondered what else he could make. "Well, you can make it up to me by making some food when we get there!"

"Already planning on it," he said, taking her in his arms swiftly and disappearing from the cave.

She barely registered the assault on her senses as she held on to a dripping wet and almost naked Laxus. He loosened his hold and she jerked backward, holding him by his arms. "Laxus! Why didn't you put your clothes back on?!"

"What's the point?" He laughed, gesturing to the space around them. "We're already here. I can just change when I get inside."

Lucy looked around. They were surrounded by water in the middle of nowhere. Tan sand encased her toes and the sound of crashing waves was all that could be heard. It was a beautifully clear night; millions of stars dotted the sky, and the moon was bright and almost full.

As much as Laxus loved looking at the stars, he was getting cold. The combination of being barely clothed and wet was not going well with the cool breeze. He put an arm around the girl, bringing her out of her trance as he pulled her along with him as he walked to his little shack. The path he cleared a few months ago was surprisingly still somewhat clear, so they were able to make it there quickly.

He turned the knob and the lights flickered on, that feeling of familiarity and comfort setting in nicely for them both. Ushering her inside, he shut the door behind them and made his way to the kitchen. "I know you probably wanna take a shower or something, so why don't you do that while I make some food?"

"What, are you in my head, or something?"?" She asked, poking fun at him. "You better not be reading my mind!"

"You give me far less credit than I deserve," he remarked, digging around in the cabinets. "I think I know you well enough to know what you hate. Habits, too."

Lucy blushed at his words. Did he really pay that much attention to her? She only had to yell at him once for doing it, and that was back when they first linked up. And, what about her habits? He didn't know that much, did he?

"Well it's a given that I'd want to take a shower after swimming all day," she announced, putting a hand on her hip. "Doesn't mean you _know_ me."

"Really? You're going to do this?" He turned around and matched her smirk with his. She was toying with him. "You're going to pretend like I don't get to see you every day? Like I don't see you at your best and your worst? Like I don't get to watch you do your little routine every night?"

She inched backward as he stalked toward her at an agonizingly slow pace. His voice was low and husky, and he had this… hungry look on his face, giving her goosebumps. Oh, what had she done? "Y-You…"

"I know you more than you think I do," he uttered, leaning down and taking in her erotic vibe. His face was inches away from hers and he could practically hear her heart racing. "Don't toy with me, Lucy."

Wide-eyed, she stammered over her words. "I-I'm not toying w-with you…"

"Let's get one thing straight; I don't have to read your mind to know what you want," he noted as he brushed a messy lock of hair behind her ear. "Now, go wash up."

'_Woah…'_ Her heart fluttered as she scurried off to the bathroom. Where did that assertion come from? It rocked her to her core, and he didn't even do anything! Leaning against the door, her hands went up to tap her cheeks as she squealed internally. The things he did to her! She wanted him to take her, but she knew she'd have to make the first move. How would he react? Would he have her? Was she good enough for him? What if she made the first move and he rejected her? Things would be so awkward; they'd probably have to go separate ways. _'No, I don't want that.'_ She… loved him.

Laxus enjoyed messing with her, though he seemed to have gotten a different reaction out of her than he wanted. Or maybe it was him who subconsciously elicited that response from her in the first place. He sighed; he definitely wanted her, he just felt she deserved to be done right by. He didn't want to rush things and then potentially ruin them. What if she was put off and wanted to go her own way?

At first, she didn't strike him as the type to make the first move, but when she asked to lay with him the other night, it threw him for a loop. He began to wonder if maybe she _was_ planning to do something tonight. Would he reject her if she did? _'No, I could never, but…'_

He'd finished cooking and shortly after, she emerged from the bathroom in a fitted, white tee-shirt and gray leggings. A flash of annoyance ran across his face at the amount of clothing she had on. He'd only changed his boxers and put on one of his silk, button-down shirts. He even left it open! And here she was, fully clothed. Actually, why _did_ he have this on? It was like he was purposefully doing and wearing things that would provoke reactions from her. _'She's gonna be the death of me.'_

Whatever Laxus made smelled so good, she could smell it while she was in the shower. She walked around the corner to find him in a pair of royal-blue boxer briefs and a black, button-down shirt that he had open, for whatever reason. He was gorgeous! She all but skipped to the small kitchen island when she stopped in her tracks, the stalest poker face she could muster on display.

"Is this all you know how to make?" He'd made pasta _again!_ Not that it wasn't delicious, she just expected him to come up with something else.

He paused, stifling a laugh as he shoved more onto his fork. "No, but I do make it every time I come back. It was my favorite food when I was human. Why? Do you not like it?"

"Yes, I like it," she countered, hopping up onto one of the stools at the counter. "I just thought you knew how to cook."

He watched her eyes twinkle playfully as she slurped down a forkful of pasta. So, this was the mood she was in, huh? "I do know how to cook, I just choose to make this."

"Hmm, well that's no fun," she said, fake pouting. Was he ever going to loosen up?

"What's no fun? Seeing you stuff your face is pretty fun to me," he teased, enjoying the sight of the blush creeping across her face as she puffed out her cheeks. "It's fine, though. You like to eat, and I like to cook."

His amusement grew when she nervously started playing with her fork. This was fun. He'd have to mess with her more often if her reactions were going to be this cute.

"Well, if all you know how to make is this, then I think I'll get tired of it soon, don't you think?" She asked, a lively tilt to her voice.

"You won't get tired of it," he quickly voiced. "Remember, I know what you like."

Okay, sure. Let's say he _did _know what she liked. Did she know anything about him? He was very reserved and calm but had a temper on him when angered. He liked sweet things and starchy foods. He typically threw himself into whatever he deemed important at the time, sometimes even forgoing sleep. He was a big grump most of the time, but recently, he'd been showing her a more relaxed side of him that she loved. He was a bit demanding, but she didn't mind. He also had her best interest at heart. He always made sure she was safe. He may have an odd way of showing it, but she could definitely tell he cared.

When she thought about it, she supposed she knew most of his quirks and habits, too. He had this tick of running his hand through his hair whenever he was stressed or trying to figure things out. He had this weird habit of sleeping in socks. He snored a lot and slept like the dead. When he had a lot on his mind, he would get a little chatty. Not really about anything in particular, either. He also seemed to have sort of a possessive side to him that he tried to keep under wraps but failed miserably. All were things she discovered made her fall for him more.

He watched her intently as she dove into her thoughts again. What was she thinking about? He rarely listened in only because he knew how she felt about it but sometimes he _really_ wanted to know. Was she thinking good things? "What's on your mind?" He asked before taking another bite of pasta.

"Oh!" She chirped surprisingly, not expecting him to ask that question. "I was just thinking of how well I actually know _you._"

"Oh, really?" He said with a toothy grin. "Did you know that I'm allergic to mangoes?"

He laughed, knowingly picking the most random thing about himself he could think of as she gave him her straightest face.

"How would I have known that?" She questioned, poking her fork in his direction.

"Seems like you don't know me at all, then," he said in a fake dispirited tone. "Shows how much you care."

Lucy huffed, not happy at all with the way he turned the jokes around on her. "Laxus!"

"I'm just messing with you," he chuckled, finishing his last bite of food. "You're too easy, sometimes."

Was she? Or was _he_? She guessed she'd find out eventually who the easy one was. "If you say so," she said, not feeding into his mess. "So, what's this about your reaper friend?"

"She's kinda like a psychic," he explained, clearing his dish from the counter and putting it in the sink. "I'm pretty sure she'd be able to point us in the right direction if I ask her."

"Oh, that's cool! A psychic!" Lucy's eyes lit up before he had a chance to dial it down a bit.

"Tch. It's not that great. All reapers know shit, she just happens to know just a little more than most. I guess it could be because she's been around longer than I have," he said, running a hand through his short hair.

"Come on," she said, standing from the stool and carrying her dish to the sink. "Don't be like that! It's cool!"

He shrugged and leaned against the counter as she stood in front of him and held onto his wrists, gently swinging his arms. "It's not that cool, I'm cooler!"

"Well, it's something _you _can't do, seeing how you're traveling long distances to go see her!" It sometimes annoyed her when he was like this, but it was what made him who he was. She was usually able to get him to come around to most things, so his stubbornness didn't really bug her too much. She'd successfully shut him down with her comment and was satisfied when he sighed in frustration.

"Yeah, I guess. Whatever. Wanna drink?" What was so cool about knowing shit? He could do much cooler things! Would she rather him be some dumb reaper? He spun around and pulled a fancy looking glass bottle from the top shelf of the cabinet. Why was he getting jealous over this? _'This isn't like me.'_

Lucy knew he liked it strong, and she wasn't really fond of the strong stuff. "I—"

"Don't worry, there's something light for you here," he said, glancing over his shoulder at her with a grin. "Pansy."

Her mouth dropped; she was speechless! Who the hell was he calling a pansy? If anyone was a pansy here, it was him! "Says the one who just got jealous over a reaper!"

She smiled smugly when he froze in place. She couldn't help but feel like she'd won this battle. "Yeah. I noticed."

Laxus downed a shot and nearly slammed the glass back on the counter before spinning back around to face her. Jealous? He basically already had her, and he was sure she'd be into him as he already was. What was the point? His sea-blue eyes bored holed into her chocolate ones. "Why would I be jealous over something that's already mine?"

"W-What…?" Her voice was quiet as it suddenly felt like it'd gotten ten degrees hotter in there. What was _his_? Did he really view her as his? She wanted to look away, but she was entranced… she was lost in his sea. She didn't even register the drink he held in front of her until he tapped it against her arm.

"Drink."

She reached for the glass and held it up to her lips, still processing what he said seconds ago. Maybe she was going to need that liquid courage to get her through the rest of the night. She took the shot, relishing in the burn in her chest. Anything to get her mind off of his words.

"Was it good?" He asked, taking the glass from her and turning around again.

His voice rang in her head repeatedly. Did she hear him correctly? After about a few seconds, it finally clicked in her head that he was pouring her another drink. He turned back around, and she reached for it a bit prematurely. Their hands collided, accidentally spilling the contents of the glass all over her shirt and on her leggings. He couldn't help but laugh at the flustered blonde before him.

"Damnit!" She took a step back, holding the ends of her shirt away from her body. "Now I'm gonna smell like alcohol! I'm such a klutz!"

"I'm sorry," he laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can go put on one of my shirts. They're in the bathroom closet."

Turning her around and nudging her in the direction of the bathroom, he sighed a breath of relief when he heard the door shut. _'Fuck, why did I say that out loud? She was clearly all worked up over it!'_ And what was that nonsense about her wearing one of his shirts? Was he _trying_ to set himself up for failure? _'Maybe it won't be that bad. I'm overthinking it.'_ He threw back a few more, then poured a final glass before sitting down on the white sectional in the living room. He hadn't planned on getting drunk that night, but things took a different turn.

Meanwhile, Lucy was in the bathroom standing in nothing but her white panties going through his many pairs of silk shirts. She never paid that much attention to what he wore but she didn't think it was this fancy! She could say what she wanted about him, but one thing was for sure; he had great taste in clothes. She picked a white one, _'something to match,'_ and slipped into it. The fabric was cool on her body and hung wantonly to the middle of her thighs.

She stared at herself in the mirror as she buttoned it up, a wave of confidence washing over her body. She was going to make the first move; she was sure of it! She just didn't know how or when. Turning the knob, she slowly opened the door and tiptoed out of the bathroom. Laxus was sitting on the couch facing away from her, a drink in one hand as the other stretched across the back of the sofa. _'Okay, let's do this!'_

Laxus heard the door open and took another sip of his drink. He was already buzzed and feeling good, now he just wanted to relax while he could… until she stepped into his view. It was a sight for sore eyes, indeed. She had on one of his favorite silk shirts, and her long, bare legs made him want to believe that she had nothing on underneath, but he knew better. The moonlight that poured through the window gave her silhouette a kind of dark glow that made his mouth water.

Lucy didn't know what to expect when she walked in there, but he looked absolutely delicious the way he was sitting on the couch, looking at her, taking her in. His black shirt had fallen open quite a bit, framing his chest and abs nicely. His long arm spanned the majority of the back of the couch invitingly. His toned legs were spread comfortably, just ready for her to sit atop them. His face was studying her just as she was studying him; he was all but begging her to advance.

"Do you like this on me?" She asked, playing with the ends of the shirt. "I picked it to match…"

Match what? He raised a curious brow as she shyly lifted the bottom of it, revealing matching white panties. _'Oh, shit.'_ Was he ready for this? He let his head fall back, staring up at the ceiling as he felt her take the glass from his hand.

"Laxus…" She called his name softly as she slid her hands up his firm chest and rested them on his shoulders. His head jerked up in surprise as she placed one knee on one side of his leg slowly, then the other. His hands immediately went to her thighs and inched their way up until they rested on her hips under the shirt. She felt so damn good under his fingertips; he never wanted this to end.

"Lucy…" He could barely formulate a proper sentence. Her brown eyes were melting the wall he had around his heart. He already knew he loved her, but now…? He was being consumed. He stared at her lips, then at her neck. His eyes traced the collar of his shirt down to the one button she left undone, giving him a glimpse of what he _could_ have. He wanted to claim her, he wanted to mark her as his, he wanted to tell her—no, _show_ her that she could be with no other. His fingers fiddled with the edge of her panties as he tried to hold himself together.

Her digits danced up and down his chest, eventually laying flat on the skin under his black shirt. She tilted her head to the side and held back a small moan at the feel of his body under her touch. "Laxuuussss…"

Her voice was soft and needy, she was literally begging for him to touch her. How could he deny such a sweet request? His hands slid up just a bit more, stopping at her slim waist. He needed to control himself, but she was making it damn near impossible to. He shut his eyes and sighed. "We… we shouldn't. I want to do this right."

'_Do this right?' _What was wrong about this? Lucy had never felt more right about anything in her life! As she sat on his lap with heavy hands around her waist, her need only grew. She could see clear as day that he wanted this too, so why was he hesitating? She traced her fingers up his shoulders and clasped them behind his neck, meeting his electrifying blue gaze with her brown one. His fingers drummed on her skin and she could tell he was itching to touch her more. The silk shirt that graced her body fluttered in the cool ocean breeze that blew through the open window; the chill causing her to lean against him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "Lax…"

His body reacted strongly, and he was sure she noticed. There were only two layers of thin fabric that separated them, and it was driving him crazy. He groaned as she peppered his neck with small kisses, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her more into his body.

Her hands caressed either side of his face as her kisses reached his jawline. She pressed herself into him, shivers running down her spine upon feeling how hard he was for her. "Do you know what you're doing?" He asked, his voice deep and rugged.

Of course, she knew what she was doing. Who wouldn't in this situation? One of his hands slid up her bare back and rested in between her shoulder blades as she continued her ministrations. "If I start… I'm not sure I'll stop."

He waited for a response or any indication that she didn't want this and got none. Instead, she ground her hips into his, snapping all his reasoning and sanity in half. His hand continued up her back and up to her neck as he laced his fingers through her hair and pulled her head back.

The pull from his arm being under her shirt caused it to hug her large breasts, her hardened nubs poking through the fabric. He leaned forward, dragging his tongue across the top of her cleavage and up to her exposed neck, stopping at the junction between her neck and shoulder and sucking gently.

She shuddered underneath him and whimpered as she went limp in his arms, his name like a soft mantra on her lips. She wanted this. _God_, she wanted this so bad and he was finally giving it to her. He was being so gentle, yet rough at the same time and it was enough to drive her wild.

"Lu…" His voice was so sultry, her name rolled off his tongue like butter. The hand he had around her waist slid back around to her front and crept its way up to one of her breasts, pulling and kneading as he left dark marks on her creamy skin. She moaned softly, fueling his fire while he nibbled on her ear. "You're _mine._"

His breath was hot on her ear and she trembled. The arm under her shirt was the only thing supporting her weight as he gripped her hair tighter and pulled her head to the side, attacking her neck with sloppy kisses. He wanted to take her right then and there, to make her scream his name over and over, to make her beg for him. He also wanted to take this slow, to savor every inch of her body, to drink in her soft moans and mewls. He wanted to make sure this moment would be embedded into their memories until the end of time.


	21. Chapter 21

****comments below**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Her mind was in overdrive as he devoured her, his tantalizing lips bombarded the column of her neck as they trailed up to the underside of her chin. He was taking it so slow, it was agonizing! Soft whimpers escaped her; she longed to feel his lips against hers and to touch him as he was her, but the way he had her… the way he held onto her… He was dominating her.

"La…Laxus…" Her voice was breathy and her hands scrambled for purchase on the firm planes of his chest. He smirked against her skin knowingly, teasing the area around her mouth with a warm tongue. He knew she wanted him to do more, but he wasn't about to make it that easy for her; he was going to make her beg for it. He wanted to taste all of her, to grasp at her very being… she was so needy. It fed his growing hunger, and a low and timber groan left him as he paused to admire her pale, moonlit skin.

In that split second, she'd grabbed his face and brought it inches apart from hers. She breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling against him. She gazed into his cobalt eyes; they seemed to change between different shades of blue. All he could do was stare at her in worship as she begged with her beautiful, pleading eyes. Her brown eyes followed her fingers as they traced his lips. "Kiss me… please…"

He leaned in with a sly grin, brushing his lips against the corner of her mouth before pulling her head back again and pursuing his assault on her neck. His pride soared at the sound of her frustrated moan as he replied with his own guttural groan, working his way down slowly. He was going to savor this moment… this moment he was unaware he'd been waiting on for a few years. She smelled so good, and the feeling of being buzzed was making it hard to keep himself calm. He slipped his hand from under the front of her shirt and had the buttons undone in an instant, delving into the valley between her soft mounds before they even had a chance to bounce free.

He relished in her heady gasps and lingering touches, keeping the upper half of her body supported with his arm as he strafed one breast with a large hand and the other with his mouth. Amidst his ambush, he nuzzled against her soft flesh and mumbled darkly, "I've been watching you… ever since you came to the bunker…"

'_Watching me?' _Those were the only words available in her mind as he held her, she felt weightless; it felt as if he was dragging her entire soul from her body and consuming her. She quivered as his tongue darted across a dusky nipple, what should she do with her hands? It wasn't fair that he was able to do as he pleased while she was trapped under his spell. She squirmed, soft squeaks coming from dragging moans as she fought for dominance… briefly.

He leered lasciviously, releasing her breast from his mouth with a pop and brought her head down. Pressing his lips gently to her chin, he inhaled, taking in her desire-laden aura. "You'll get it…" he nipped at her jaw in between thick breaths. "When I give it to you."

Upon those words, she surrendered her body to the angel beneath her. He already had her this tightly wound and he hadn't even kissed her yet! Every touch felt like electricity running through her veins as her body blazed from the delicious friction. She tugged at his shirt as he marked any bare skin he came in contact with. He hummed deep within his chest and the reverberation ripped through her, sending a flood of warmth to her core. She ground against him again, his hardness throbbing against her covered folds.

He leaned back, pulling her upright and releasing her from his hold, almost pained from the small whine that came from her pouting lips. He marveled up at her as he crossed his arms behind his head, a saucy grin spreading on his face. "Take it off me."

Her face warmed and under eyes foggy with lust, she tentatively slid her hands up his pecs. Under her touch, he purred and his hands went to lay atop hers, guiding them up to their destination. His hands found their way back to rest on her waist as hers brushed the shirt from his broad shoulders. The fabric caught around his arms and he smirked, "it's in the way, hmm?"

In an instant, his shirt disappeared, leaving nothing but his tanned skin darkened from her shadow. She'd seen him shirtless plenty of times before, but this time… he was hers to touch… he was hers to claim… this time took the cake. She dove, peppering her own small kisses on his chest as the tips of her fingers dusted the curves of his abs. He was firm; in more places than one, but soft and warm at the same time. She was deaf to everything around her except for the man holding her, _her_ man.

"Lu…" He was slipping. He needed more of her, and again, she begged for it but it was _her_ turn to remove something from her body. He called out her name lustfully, amused when she clung harder. He brought a hand to her chin and brought her face up, his eyes glued to her pursed lips. "Your turn."

Her brown orbs flickered in confusion, then in understanding when she realized what he wanted. His hands glided down to her thighs as she sat upright, her mouth slightly parted, eyes heavily lidded and she gave a small smile. She grasped at the opening of the white, silk shirt and slowly slipped it down her arms in a tease. Her confidence soared as he licked his lips and gave her thick thighs a squeeze, his hardness pulsated again against her.

A strained groan left his body as she continued her slow torture. Was this what she felt like while he was teasing her? She looked stunning with her messy hair and her body graced with his favorite shirt that looked amazing on her marked skin. Anyone who looked at her would be able to tell she belonged to him, but it wasn't enough. He needed to mark something more… internal. Just before he was about to say 'fuck it' and rip the shirt from her body, it fell to the floor and she sat almost bare on his lap with the sexiest look on her face.

His patience snapped and he had her by the jaw, bringing her lips to his in an electrifying heat that jolted through them both. _'Finally.'_ He'd kissed her. Their bodies clung to one another like magnets; it was as if their dormant attraction and ardor burst through their own defenses. Her hands went up to either side of his face as their tongues danced around each other. He swallowed her mewls and was drunk in _her_, their nips and nibbles enough to drive him mad.

One hand formed around the nape of her neck and pulled her deeper, while the other hand grabbed and caressed her ass. Why did she still have those on? Why did he still have his on? They were suffocating. A plan naughtier than it should have been formulated in his brain, waiting for the perfect moment to implement it. He pulled her head back, exposing her neck as he led his tongue under her chin and back up to her lips, pushing its way inside. Did she always taste this good? "_Delicious…"_

She trembled at his sultry word, his baritone voice, and his warm breath. When it came to words, she had none, only needy whines and longing passion, but it was just enough for him. As he said, he knew her, and now? He _knew _her. He continued discovering new places on her body that would elicit different sounds from her, reading her like a damn good book. He gave her ass a slap and she squeaked, seconds before her white panties vanished from her body.

She pulled away and he grinned at her surprised expression. "L-Laxus…!" His name fell from her mouth, equal parts embarrassed and entranced. How did he do that? She assumed he could only flash in and out of his own clothing, but she supposed they'd never been in an intimate situation such as this one. His hands were warm, clasped around her bare cheeks as he squeezed.

He'd gotten those annoying panties out of the way and his nose was flooded with the spicy scent of her arousal. Before, it was faint, kept at bay by that flimsy piece of fabric, but now… now? It was all he could smell; all he could feel. Her core wept, dampening his royal-blue boxers… the only thing left keeping his faculties in place. Breathing deeply, he took in more of her natural scent, that scent that he'd be sure to know more of.

His calloused hands touched every inch of her he could see, fondling and caressing, ghosting playfully with light force. Her breasts bounced tauntingly with each move they both made, inviting him to shove his face between them. She would whisper his name from time to time, encouraging him to continue… _needing_ him. She pressed her chest into him, that lovely warmth sending shivers up her spine while she left her own marks on his neck. There was an ache in her lower region, an ache she knew only _Laxus_ could fix. He was taking his time, and that ache only grew stronger.

Trailing his fingers up and down her spine, he hissed and hummed in pleasure as she licked and sucked on the skin of his neck. Just the thought alone of her wanting to lay her claim as he did his was sexy in itself. Unbeknownst to either of them, he'd already surrendered himself to her long ago.

He was tired of waiting. He needed to be inside of her, to be one with her, to feel what she had to offer. As if on cue, her lips made their way up to his jaw and onward to his, meeting up in a sloppy, forceful kiss. His hands took to her hips, pushing her down onto his covered until they weren't covered anymore.

She yelped in surprise as their lips separated, her chocolate eyes wide and a blush on her cheeks. He smiled up at her with pretend innocence, his now light blue eyes hazy with desire. The little sneak had gotten rid of his boxers and his thick shaft was pressed firmly against her moist folds. His hands never left her hips as he pulled her more into him, coating him in her wetness.

Her mind was reeling; the skin to skin feeling of his rock-hard tool was clouding her thoughts. She subconsciously stirred her hips, bringing forth a noise from him she hadn't heard before. She stirred again, arching her body into him as she pulled his face in for more of those delectable kisses. Strong arms wrapped fully around her as he guided her hips in a circular motion. He grazed her bottom lip, pulling ever so gently as she let out a small cry of pleasure. "Do you see what you do to me?"

She looked down, the large tip of his dick poking from under her. It was slick with her juices and looked like it was ready to erupt at any moment. She shivered; _that_ was going to be inside of her very soon and the and the anticipation was agony. She met his piercing gaze, his _wanting _gaze.

He had to tease her just a little more. His fingers drew patterns on her back, and she sighed a heavy sigh as he leaned up and into her space. She was ready, and so was he. "You want me?" He murmured hot and low in her ear and all she could do was nod her head frantically. She didn't care how eager she looked; she was needy and there was no way around that. He licked the shell of her ear then blew, following up with a soft peck on the lobe. "_Beg_."

She was frozen in place, stunned. Beg? With what words? He'd stolen everything except her breath, and that was being generous. He was well aware of the fact that she couldn't speak, but it didn't matter to him; he was going to hear her pretty little voice even if he had to coax it out of her. She pushed herself against him, her dainty arms wrapping around his neck, pliant to his whims.

A lewd chuckle ripped through his body and into hers, "_naughty…_" He sucked on a small portion of her smooth shoulder as he pushed up into her, giving her a feel of what she _could_ have… if she asked for it. "Tell me, Lu. Tell me you want me. Tell me how you want to _feel me._"

She let out a strangled moan when he gripped her ass. Of course, she wanted to tell him how much she wanted to be connected with him, but her words were caught in her throat. Her fingers trailed up to his short blond hair, and mimicking his actions, she gently brought his face to hers. Electricity crackled in his azure eyes as he observed her every movement… waiting. An emptiness inside of her called out for the dick that throbbed steadily against her core and it wiped her mind.

He held her tighter, his eyes never leaving her face. He was reading her, looking for any emotion he could pull from her. He smirked; it seemed as though he worked her up a little more than expected. _'So, she likes sweet words, huh?'_ He buried his face in her soft chest, both hands still on her backside as the friction between them increased, driving him crazy. He was surprised he was able to keep calm for so long, but it was becoming impossible. Unfortunately, the stubborn side of him wouldn't let him past this point without hearing her tell him she wanted it. Her body was screaming yes, but she just needed one little push if he wanted to hear it come from those pouty lips of hers. His hand found one of hers and rested it on his chest, his fingers curling around it. "I want you, no—I _need_ you, Lu," he pleaded, bringing her hand up and kissing the back of it.

Why was she having such a hard time saying those words? Was it because her tongue was tied? Because he put her on the spot? Because she was nervous or embarrassed? None of those things mattered. She was so vulnerable, yet she felt so safe in his presence. All he wanted was for her to swallow that embarrassment and say a few words? She'd go to the ends of the Earth and back for him, and she's pretty sure she already had.

"Lax…" She took a deep breath and cupped his cheek as he looked at her expectantly. It took everything in her to compose the words he wanted to hear. She managed, between uneven puffs of air while her digits glided over the features of his face. "I need you… I can't live without you… I need to be… marked by you."

He didn't know where she got those words from, but they were incredibly sexy. This beautiful human was asking to be his, in a language only they understood. She couldn't live without him? Then he'd never leave her side. She needed his mark? Then she shall receive. He shifted her so that his hands were under her, supporting her weight as he positioned her over his erect dick. She was already so wet, and the tip of him was pressing lightly against her opening. She bit her lip in anticipation, but just as he'd been doing, he took it slow. Heavy hands slid up and down her milky skin and soft kisses were placed on her chin, then her jaw. "Lucy… Lu…" His deep voice sung her name softly as his lips next went to her nose, then her cheekbone. "Lu… I love you, Lu…"

'_What?'_ He loved her? She barely had time to react before his lips claimed hers in a fierceness that stole her breath. Suddenly, he invaded her most intimate place, her warm, accommodating walls taking him in slowly inch by inch. Her soft cries and his ragged breaths filling the moonlit room as he slid her down his shaft, her nails digging into the skin on his back. "_Laxuuussss…_' She purred his name, the feeling of his thick staff stretching her to her limit causing her to see stars.

The pleasure was intoxicating. He was losing himself, drowning in between her wanton legs. She moaned, rotating her hips until he sunk fully into her clenching walls. "_Fuck… Lu…" _This was likely the greatest feeling he'd ever experienced; his senses were already heightened from being an angel, but now even more so while he was in the throes of passion. One hand gripped her hip with an electric force while the other fondled a soft breast. She threw her head back when he ground into her, hitting a spot she didn't know she had somewhere deep within her core.

He thrusted, _hard_, nipping at her exposed throat, eating her whines. Oh, how lovely her voice was. How _erotic._ She chanted his name with each push, feeding his need to please her. He was amazed at how well she took him in, how tight she was around him, how her nether lips wrapped around the base of his shaft. He took a nipple into his mouth, groaning at the way she twitched around him as he alternated between the two.

His thrusts were long and deep, grazing her womb each time she took it to the hilt. Her voice was high-pitched and raspy, only able to say one word, _his name. _He wrapped an arm around her and leaned forward, increasing his pace and pulling her down onto him commandingly. He smirked when she screamed at the sudden force, pleased to see her eyes rolled and her toes curled from his doings. She was truly beautiful.

Was this what bliss felt like? She'd never experienced pleasure like this in her life! Was this because he was an angel? Or was it because of the love they had for each other? He had this dark hunger for her; it was quite obvious, yet this wasn't something that was purely carnal. He was being gentle while showing her _he _was in control. He was rough with his touches and grabs while careful at the same time. He was making love to her.

It would be a lie if he said he was going to last much longer; he felt as if she were his forbidden fruit. Not that it mattered, anyway. He fully intended on divulging as much as he could; it was only the first round. His fingers entwined their way into her hair again as he brought her face to meet his. Her tongue danced on his lips, asking for permission to enter. With a smile, he thrusted. His lips ghosted over hers as a tease before planting a trail of kisses up her jaw with each push.

"_You're amazing…_" He whispered into her soft skin as he stirred his hips, her arms snug around his neck as her body trembled in response to his words. He licked the edge of her ear while his free hand gripped her jaw. "_Lu…_" His index finger traced her lips and pushed into her mouth. "_You're perfect…_" He drew in a breath when she started gently sucking, unintentionally thrusting harder than he had been. A muffled cry left her throat as her thighs squeezed tighter against him. He shoved into her again, earning that same heavenly cry from seconds before. "_Mmm…_" He hummed sensually into her ear, his movements unrelenting. "_All mine…_" Was she always this divine?

The sweet nothings he whispered into her ear paired with his persistent strokes was sending her over the edge. He pulled his digit out of her mouth and dragged it down her neck, his hand again finding her breast. It was as if he _knew_ she was close to her climax and he kept taunting her… bringing her close then pulling her away. His smooth words made her walls flutter around him, made her mind go blank. "_Lu… my sweet, gorgeous Lu…_" He made her feel so beautiful, like a work of art he worshipped her body and soul; all she could do was give herself to him.

"_Look at me…_" His voice was an echo in her head, not registering he was telling her to do something. All she knew was the blazing heat in her core that was ready to take over her whole body. He knew she was close; her body gave it all away. He couldn't have that… he wanted them to climax together. "_Lu…_" He slowed his pace, as his patience wore thin. Nipping at the soft flesh of her collar, that got her attention and her doe-like eyes snapped to his hazy blue. "_I'm gonna fill you up, Lu…_"

He could do whatever he wanted to her, and she wouldn't mind in the slightest. He didn't need her approval, but he wanted it. Was it because he wanted her to verbally give consent? Or was it because he just wanted to hear her beg? Either way, she was his and had no qualms about anything he did. Her hands found his cheeks and she rested her forehead on his. "Okay," she nodded almost erratically, kissing his nose then the corners of his mouth.

His hands flew to her hips and moved her up and down, spearing her onto his hard dick. Her hands flat on his chest as she used it as leverage. "_Lax…! Laxus…!_" Her voice raised in pitch as he pounded her; the only goal being the finish line up ahead. With a growl and a tongue to her neck, his grip on her tightened as he slammed her down one final time. She screamed, her orgasm taking her suddenly. Her name was a praise on his lips as he held her against him, detonating within her welcoming walls.

"_Ah… fuck, Lu…_" She clung to him tighter, the feeling of him spreading his seed in her womb like little spurts of electricity, making her body shudder. The feeling of taking his essence, his mark, it was euphoric. Her walls clenched around his spilling staff, milking him dry, and he kissed her lovingly. Was this what it was like to be marked by an angel? The feeling was like none other, like it was a secret pleasure she wasn't supposed to know. Her body tingled and she whimpered as he sucked on her bottom lip.

He held her, his hands smoothing over her back and sides as he calmed her trembling body. Was she always this perfect? He groaned into her chest as he pushed deeper into her, those short, deep-seated thrusts drawing out those delectable moans he craved to hear.

She was lifeless, limp while his hands groped and fondled. She'd experienced the greatest pleasure there was and she wanted more. Greedy? No, _hungry._ She had a taste and it quickly became addicting. Why hadn't she done this sooner? Gaining her second wind, she ground into an unexpecting angel, who smirked against her skin. He gripped her thighs and stood, kissing her through her surprised squeaks until she pulled away.

"Laxus…!" She wrapped her legs around him as he started moving away from the couch. He was still hard within her as he walked her down the short hall and into the bathroom, gravity bringing her down onto him with every step he took. Her arms clasped around his neck while she whimpered softly. "Wh-what are…?"

Her breath was sharp; she didn't get a chance to finish her thought before he had her pressed against the cool tile of the shower wall. Deftly, he switched on the water, first cold then quickly warm. He loved this position, how deep he was inside of her, how her legs pulled him more into her. Her skin glistened under the water and her blonde hair clung to her face. He leaned into her, pushing as deep as he could as his lips captured hers tenderly. "_We're not done yet…_"

He put a thumb to her bottom lip, sealing every inch of her into his brain. By the time he was finished with her tonight, he was going to know everything about her body, everything that provoked his favorite reactions from her, everything that made her scream his name. What had he done to deserve her? "_Absolutely stunning…_"

He looked down, pulling himself out so that only the tip remained inside of her, then slammed deeply into her. What a sight to see. She took all of him with ease, and he considered himself to be pretty large. Her nails found purchase on his back as she moaned languidly. "_Lu…_" He buried his face in her neck gripping her taut ass and driving into her repeatedly. "_Do you love me…?_"

Of course, she did! Could he not see that? One thing she was learning from this was that he was very vocal, and he loved interaction whether it be words or moans. It was almost hard to believe that this stony angel had a soft side to him… a _super_ soft side. "_Tell me you love me…_" He sucked another dark spot onto her neck, lapping at the sensitive area. "_I know you do, Lu…_"

He _did_ know her, after all. He was so sure of himself, but not cocky. It was one of the traits she enjoyed most about him. He knew what he knew, and what he didn't, he learned. She trembled at his voice, her head tilted to the side to better allow him access while he pumped in and out of her. "_Laxus… I love you…_"

She choked out those three words, those words that were music to his ears. Who didn't want to be loved? He dragged his tongue to her earlobe, feeling a bit greedy. "_Say it again…_" He slid all the way in and paused his motions, waiting for her sweet voice. Her whines pained him; she was begging for him to move and he was too stubborn to do so. "_Lu…_" He sang her name, grazing _that spot_ with the tip of his dick.

Her hands held the back of his head as she stared into his expectant, sky-blue eyes. "_I love you so much, Lax…_" Her head went back in ecstasy as he switched it up, pounding into her with vigor, his face in between her large, wet breasts. "_Laxus…! Oh… please…!_" The sounds of their coupling filled the room, the water splashed from their bodies. He typically liked it slow and sensual, but the way she spoke those words? He just wanted to plunge into her endlessly, filling her until she couldn't take anymore.

Surprise washed over him; he was close again, and a lot sooner than anticipated. She was just _too_ good, _too_ sexy. He never wanted to leave her warm cavern, but he knew they'd never get anything done that way. Maybe he should have waited until_ after_ they got everything situated. She shuddered around him, almost spasming as he brought her to her climax for the second time that night. "_Laxuuussss…!_"

"_Lucy…_" He pushed in to the hilt and stirred, coaxing her down from her high. Her clinging walls urged him to his own release, convincing him that filling her was the best feeling he could ever experience. As if he could be inside of her any deeper, he held her tightly to him, grinding ever so gently. "_Take all of me…_"

She kissed his forehead, then his cheekbone, then the rest of his face as he satiated her. She was completely satisfied as her legs hung limply around him, savoring the small feeling of those jolts of energy pulsating within her. Now having experienced this degree of elation, she knew she wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than Laxus… and she was sure that was his goal.

He gave her ass a slap and grinned as he pushed one last time. "You okay?" He asked, resting his forehead on hers.

"I'm fine," she kissed him, returning his smile and lowering her legs. She may have spoken a bit prematurely; her legs trembled as she stood and nearly gave away. Luckily, he caught her by her shoulders before she fell and laughed while she recomposed herself.

"You sure you're alright? I did go pretty hard on you at the end, there." She blushed and pouted, and he laughed harder.

Huffing, she rolled her eyes and turned around, letting the water cascade down her body. She had to admit, she didn't think he'd accept her advance, but she was quite happy that he did. A soft smile graced her lips as she started to soap up. Was he always that sweet? Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed him massaging shampoo into her hair. She'd already washed it, but it felt amazing having someone else do it, and it was the thought that counts.

Their shower was short and sweet; taking turns rubbing one another down with soap until there was no trace of their previous activities aside from the marks left on their bodies. The water stopped and he assisted her out of the tub, wrapping her in his favorite blue towel. "You ready for bed?" He asked, rubbing her shoulders.

"Yeah, actually," she sighed, leaning into him and closing her eyes. He'd screwed her thoroughly, and now she was exhausted.

"Let's go, gorgeous!" He ripped the towel from her still-damp body and picked her up, carrying her bridal style out of the bathroom.

"Wait! Laxus!" She wriggled in his arms but to no avail. "My hair is still wet!"

"It doesn't matter," he said simply, nudging the door to his room open then dropping her on his large bed. It wasn't like he bothered to dry off, himself.

"I'm gonna sleep here?!" The panicked look on her face and her sudden timidness amused him as he lifted the comforter and crawled in next to her.

"Really?" He mused, laying on his side to face her. "You're gonna act all shy now?"

"I dunno," she flipped away from him, taking his side of the comforter with her and hiding under it. Why was she so embarrassed? Wasn't she just on top of him wantonly? Wasn't it only the night before when she asked to lay with him anyway? Things were different, now!

He yanked the cover away from her and pulled her into his body. "Come on, Lu," he said, bringing her chin up. "Where was this shyness that first night here? You had no problem laying with me then."

She turned a deep red as she tried to hide her face, but for naught as he kept a hold of her chin. He actually remembered? _'Oh, God! How embarrassing!'_ She put her hands on his chest, trying to shove him away. "I really didn't mean to! I was just tired, and I—"

He kissed her, stopping her panic and calming her down. She was so adorable, especially when she was flustered. "Don't worry about it," he said, tangling their legs together and pulling her closer. "I liked it."

* * *

** ! is really all I can say lol. I worked on this chapter every day since I posted my last chapter and lemme tell you IT WAS DIFFICULT! it was a challenge writing detailed lemons like that, but it was really fun to see what I was made of lol. I notice that every time I have a difficult time writing a chapter, it somehow turns into a really long one. this chapter clocked in at 5306 words when I typically try to do between 4500-5000 words. this was also only supposed to be half a chapter, but my mind RAN LMAO! the most difficult part about writing this was trying not to reuse the same words and phrases. I had to reread this shit so many times lol. but this is my first time actually TRYING to write smut, so I would very much appreciate it if you guys could let me know what you think, and what you feel I could improve on! stay tuned for chapter 22!**

**(ALICIACEVBRA) that was definitely the goal! I wanted to get you guys all worked up and then make you wait because I'm evil lmao jk. but I watched the fairy tail Christmas ova a few days ago and I noticed natsu and gray all over each other and I literally cannot unsee it now! it makes sense as to why gray doesn't really care for juvia and why natsu doesn't see lucy romantically. its all crazy and hiro mashima is a sneaky genius!**

**(NICETRUC) thank you so much and welcome to KARMA! I'm glad you like my AU and it makes me happy that there are people out there who like my style of writing! I don't explain what I do and how I write, I just kinda let you guys figure it out on your own. I also don't like to warn people when there are upcoming lemons either. leaves 'em nice and surprised ;)**


	22. Chapter 22

**geez, can you guys believe this chapter is over 6400 words?! it's my longest chapter yet! and honestly, I feel like it's just filler, ya know? the calm before the storm. just know, shit is about to hit the fan soon lol. I wanted to tell you guys that this is going to be turned into a two-part story. I have maybe 10 more chapters until this part is done and I'll be taking a brief hiatus to compile the second half of the story. I have written all my notes and the layout of at least the next 5 chapters, so stay tuned for more drama. also, I'm stoked you guys liked my lalu smut lol! you guys give me the confidence to keep going! (p.s. sorry for making you guys wait a bit longer than usual for this chapter. especially for it to just be filler lol. at least it's that gajevy goodness you guys have been wanting!)**

**RAO HYUGA 18****:**** thanks! I did put a lot into it and I'm glad you could tell! every day I get better and better at writing :) also, I wasn't really a fan of lalu either until recently, so we're in the same boat lol**

**ALICIACEVBRA: that all makes so much sense lol. some people wouldn't be into that, so it's almost imperative that he keep them in the closet lolol. **

**SCALLYWAG4REAL: thank you sooooo much! that means so much to me! I was getting a bit discouraged because karma doesn't have as many likes as my last fanfic, but it's alright, not everyone is into the supernatural lol! **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

'_**Wait.'**_

"_Well, are you here to kill me or not?" She asked, bringing him out of his thoughts. _

"_Pretty impatient fer a thief," he smirked, leaning over her._

"_Thief?" Levy questioned, their eyes still locked._

'_**Something isn't right.'**_

"_Ya really don't remember me, huh? Maybe this'll jog yer memory," he said, yanking the talisman off the chain she had around her neck and stuffing it into his pocket._

"_You're…" her eyes widened in realization as he inched closer, his breath on her ear._

"_Now how did a small thing like you lure and kill so many people?" He spoke into her ear with a low voice._

"_I'm not the bad guy! I only did what I had to do!"_

'_**Why is this happening?!'**_

"_Don't need an explanation," he said, his eyes wandering down her neck. He was now dangerously close to her, his body all but sprawled out on top of her. He was drowning in her scent and he couldn't break himself away. The markings on her neck now had his attention, his eyes locked onto the glyphs as his hands apparently had a mind of their own._

_**Gajeel viewed himself months ago, angry and unsure of why he was experiencing this. He extended an arm in an attempt to stop himself, but his body moved slowly as if he were stuck in thick liquid while the walls around him melted into the grayscale floors. The room itself pulsed, his vision blurred, and his hearing muffled with each thump. Why couldn't he move properly? Why couldn't he stop himself? He felt as if he were being strangled by this stupid sense of déjà vu. He stretched as his feet felt like they were starting to sink. 'Fuck! Reach!' **_

_His eyes stayed on her neck as his hands wandered her body. Starting with her thick thighs, they traveled up her hips and danced briefly around her slim waist, gliding slowly over her small, but perky breasts, and gently caressing her neck, his large fingers tracing the symbols that wrapped around it._

"_**STOP!" His body sunk into the floor like quicksand while he clawed his way out. What kind of fucked up shit was this? He tried to alter his size and quickly found that he couldn't use his abilities. What the hell was going on?! He clenched his fists, finally pulling himself out of what felt like the depths of hell. "S-Stop… Why're ya doing this?!" **_

"_What… are you?" _

_**She'd asked him that before and the answer was the same. He was… a killer. Pulling himself out of what was now a burning pit, the floor turned to ice, but that didn't stop him from finally getting to his past self. He was mortified as his hands wrapped around her neck. He couldn't stop it. He was useless. "Yer… a monster…"**_

_**His past self froze in place, his hands still around her neck as he glanced back at his current self with the evilest grin he'd ever seen himself wear. His eyes glowed a menacing red as a misty, black aura flowed from his body. "Heh. I'm you."**_

_**Before he could react, he was sucked back into his past body in a blur. **__His red eyes snapped to hers, that evil grin now spread even wider on his face. "I'm yer worst nightmare." _

_His grip on her neck suddenly tightened, cutting off her circulation and crushing the bones in her neck almost immediately. __**Why couldn't he stop himself? Why did he have to witness this a second time? What was the purpose of this? His head hurt—no, it was pounding. This was torture.**_

* * *

Levy woke up in the middle of the night to a distressed, sleeping goblin. He was tossing and turning, and sometime during, he'd managed to kick the covers halfway off the bed. She hoisted the upper half of her body off the bed with her arm, rubbing her eyes groggily with her free hand. She looked to her side, seeing him breathing heavily in a cold sweat. _'He must be stressed out about this whole situation.'_

She didn't even have to put a hand to his head to see the dark feelings he was experiencing, but she did anyway to see if she could relieve some of the tension. As soon as her hand touched him, his eyes shot open and he jolted up, causing her to pull away quickly. _'I hope I didn't startle him!' _

Panting, he held his forehead up with the palms of his hands. Why the fuck would he have a nightmare like that? Now of all times, too! This was already eating him up inside, now he had to be kept up at night over it? Was he ever going to be relieved of his guilt? He felt like shit, and things were only getting shittier. He felt a small hand on his shoulder and jerked his head to the side in surprise. _'Ah fuck!' _He'd completely forgotten that she was next to him, and all that did was make his head hurt even more.

She looked up at him with those beautiful, concerned eyes and he felt nothing more than unforgiving. Yet, here she was, caring for him, oblivious to the fact that _he_ was the one responsible for her death. How could he ever face her as a man? She'd already seen him at his weakest, now she had to see him like this?

"I'm sorry," she said, scooting closer to him. "I didn't mean to wake you, I just noticed you weren't sleeping well, and I wanted to check on you."

He sighed, resting his head in his hands again as he closed his eyes. If he ever wanted to be alone at any time in his life, now was the time. Unfortunately, he couldn't very well just send her on her way, so he had to endure it. "Thanks, Shorty. I just gotta bad headache, that's all."

Levy sat on her knees behind him and smoothed her hands across both of his shoulders in a massage. She could feel the stress radiating from him at a distance and it did nothing but worry her. Was going to see his father really the right thing to do? She felt a bit down; all she wanted to do was help, but she couldn't really do anything aside from offer mental support. "You were wallowing in your sleep and I got a bit worried."

Gajeel relaxed a bit as she worked her magic. He had the urge to smoke, but that soon subsided as she touched him. Why was she helping him? How could she be so… peaceful? He felt as if he didn't have a right to even be in her presence. The serenity she exuded was almost too much for him at the moment; he needed to breathe, but her touch… she made him feel so good.

They sat in a heavy silence as her hands worked their way up his neck. Her fingers danced up to his temples and a soft light glowed briefly. She couldn't read his mind, but she could easily see that he carried a lot on his shoulders. She let her mind wander as she eased the tension from his muscles. Was his father the only thing on his mind? She thought back to the image she saw on the card. What was that? Why did it look so familiar? Why did he hide it? If only she could have gotten a chance to look at it just a bit longer…

An ever-so-slightly uneasy feeling sat in her gut the more she thought about it. Did he… know something? _'No, no. If he knew something… he'd tell me, right?'_ Her hands slowed and the gentle pressure she was applying stopped; she was letting her mind consume her. She knew why she died, she just didn't remember exactly how. As much as she wanted to tell herself she didn't care or want to know, she knew deep down it was a lie. Was it something she was ready to remember? A lot of her most important memories were fuzzy, and she couldn't fully make out the details of specific events. It bothered her greatly.

Gajeel's migraine vanished and left him feeling like a new man. God, those hands of hers. They could do anything to him, and he wouldn't mind in the slightest. _'Fuck!'_ He hated having these conflicted feelings about her! One part of him felt he shouldn't be anywhere near her and the other part wanted to never let her go! And the worst part about this was the fact that he couldn't bring himself to send her away especially since she had no clue what was really bothering him. Her touch softened and became lazy as if she were distracted by something. What was she thinking about? "Ya alright back there, Shorty?" He managed to grunt out.

Her hands trailed back down to his shoulders and unconsciously found their way into his messy hair. "Yeah… I'm just thinking about some things."

A deep hum ripped through him as her fingers raked through his tresses. Is this what it felt like to have someone… care? No one had ever done this for him before. He closed his eyes, his head falling back while she easily detangled knots he'd wallowed into his hair. It felt amazing.

"Things like…" She paused, wondering if she should even bring it up. Earlier, she told herself that she'd let him talk about it when he was ready, but the more she thought about it, the more it ate away at her. Why did she get the feeling it had something to do with her? "What was on that card?"

His face paled, but he kept his cool. So, she _did_ see it. But, if that were the case, then she should know… right? If she _did_ know, would she still be sitting there helping him? _'Let's not jump ta conclusions, here. Maybe she's just curious.'_ He had to lay his next words out right; she was getting dangerously close to remembering that night, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

"Why did you hide it?" She asked in a quiet voice. His demeanor altered a bit when she brought it up and his silence spoke volumes, letting her know it wasn't anything good. She tried to occupy her mind by combing through his mane, which was in much better shape than it was when she did it the first time.

"It just brings up shit I don't want ta remember," he replied with a sigh. He wasn't lying. He didn't want to remember his father disappearing from his life and leaving that damned charm behind. He didn't want to remember having it stolen and causing the death of himself and his loved ones. He didn't want to remember killing her to get it back. Though, he knew for a fact that if she tagged along with him on this journey to find his dad, she'd be sure to figure it out. He needed to change the topic. "That feels good, what yer doin' there, Shorty."

Levy raised a brow, his attempt in changing the topic obvious. Maybe this was something he'd be willing to talk about after he got closure from his father. It really didn't matter one way or the other to her. She'd gone this long without knowing the truth, she supposed she could wait just a bit longer. She looked at her hands, noticing she'd been playing in his hair so easily. Did he really like it? She wasn't paying attention. "Oh, yeah, it looked a bit tangled."

Internally, he sighed a breath of relief. He didn't expect her to drop the topic so easily, but he thanked his lucky stars she did. Did that only mean she was tucking the topic away for later? Would there even be a later? How the hell was he supposed to sleep tonight? "Do ya know how long we were sleepin'?"

"Hmm, I want to say a few hours, but it's still dark out," she replied, glancing through the crack in the curtains. "Why?"

He concluded that she was going to find out eventually, regardless of whatever happened between him and his dad. Should he just tell her himself? Better now than later, right? But what if she left? What if she decided to kill him herself? The possibilities were endless! _'So, I either keep lyin' ta her and she remembers sometime down the line, I tell her myself and deal with whatever happens, or I let her find out on her own when I go meet my dad… then deal with whatever happens.' _None of those situations appealed to him in any way! Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she decided to kill him.

"I was thinkin' we should just start headin' that way now," he suggested. His mind was running a million miles a minute and he started to overthink things. Though, the feeling of her fingers running through his hair was helping keep his self-destructive thoughts at bay.

"What?" She asked, bewildered. _As if _she wanted to stop playing in his wild mane. "It's still dark out!"

"Yeah, well, I ain't gettin' any more sleep anytime soon, so I figured we could just head that way. Kill some time."

"Wait a minute! What about me?" She asked, yanking lightly on a lock of hair. "I used up a lot of my energy trying to heal you; don't you think I need some rest too?"

Damnit, she was right. He was so caught up in how _he_ was feeling, he didn't stop to consider how _she_ was feeling at the moment. He sighed in defeat, _'I can't do shit right.'_ Of course, he'd let her get some rest… even if that meant staying up the whole time to sit in his own thoughts while she slept. "Yer right… I'm sorry."

"Hey," she said, now up on her knees with her hands moving to hold the sides of his face. He opened his eyes at the new contact, and she was met with a sad gaze. "If it's sleep you need, I can help you with that."

He stared as her face hovered over his. She was so beautiful, it felt like a sin to even look at her. "Ya say that, but…"

"Well, how does your head feel?" She asked with a small smile. "Does it still hurt?"

He shook his head. "Feels like brand new."

"If I can help with that, then I can help you sleep," she chirped, sliding his headband back and tying his hair with it. A look of confusion flashed in his eyes for a second before he realized what she was doing with it. "It will help keep your hair from getting too tangled."

He couldn't help but want to play in her hair as she was with his. Did he deserve it? No, but he decided to take advantage of her presence while he still had it. "What about yers?"

"Why? You wanna comb my hair?" She teased, poking his cheeks then sitting beside him with her back to him. "Go ahead."

He looked to his side, untamed blue waves hanging freely a little past her delicate shoulders. As he adjusted himself so he was now sitting behind her with his legs crossed, he mimicked her actions. His fingers combed through the ends of her hair then worked their way up. Her hair was so soft, he could tell she took care of it well.

Levy held back a silent giggle; he was being so careful! On the other hand, whatever he was doing felt amazing. He'd gone from focusing on her hair to gently massaging her scalp and she was practically purring… putty in his hands. "You're good at this," she all but swooned.

"Really? There's a first time fer everythin'." Her hair wasn't too tangled, but he wanted any reason to keep touching her. She'd done nothing but help him so the least he could do was treat her with the same care. As his digits traced patterns in her hair, his eyes wandered across every bit of her he could see. Her smooth skin was so pale compared to his. He was stained with scars while hers looked untouched. She was the picture of goodness while he… he may not have been quite the opposite of her, but he definitely wouldn't consider himself on the good side. They could never be together, anyway. An angel and a goblin? Who'd ever heard of that?

"I find it hard to believe that someone like you hasn't had a pretty girl to do this for." She was certain this couldn't have been his first time doing something so simple.

"Someone like me?" He snickered. "Explain yerself, Short Stuff."

"Well, I mean, you're pretty nice… and you're not bad looking. So, I figured…" She trailed off, unable to find the right words.

"I wouldn't say I'm nice," he drawled, letting his hands knead the muscles in her shoulders. "But I'll hafta agree with ya on the 'handsome' part."

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head in a playful defeat. He was so cocky, but it wasn't misplaced. In her eyes, he had every right to have a big ego and she was sure she only inflated it. This guy was hot, no doubt about it.

"I dunno," he continued. "They never stuck around long enough ta get this treatment. Not sure if it was 'cuz of my family issues or if it was my personality, but… in the end, I'm always alone. Aside from Lily, of course."

"Then they're stupid," she proclaimed. "Anyone who just casts you to the side like that doesn't deserve to have you in their life!"

"Gihi, I can't say it's all their fault, Blue," he said, brushing her hair to one side. His eyes followed the tips of his fingers as they brushed the marks on her neck. What were they for? A question that'd been in the back of his mind since the very first time he met her.

"Come on," she giggled. "You can't be that much of an asshole. I mean, you're really nice to me!"

"Only ta you, Shorty." He wondered how things would have gone if he would have met her back when they were both alive. Would they have gotten along, or would he have scared her off, too? Nah, she's out of his league; there's no way she would have been into him then, right?

'_Only to me, huh?'_ Why did she get special treatment? Not that she was complaining, or anything. She rolled her neck to the side as he focused on a particularly tense spot. "How long would they usually stay?"

"A few months, maybe," he sighed. "It didn't matter ta me, though. I had more important shit ta think about."

A mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Did you ever get lucky?"

His eyes widened and his face flushed as she almost keeled over from laughter. She had a knack for pushing his buttons and it only fueled the fire. He grabbed her shoulders and leaned a gleeful angel back so he was now hovering over her. Roles seemed to reverse often between them. "Ya callin' me a virgin?"

Her whole body shook with jubilance as she couldn't contain herself. "Well, I don't see you denying it!"

"I ain't no damn virgin, Shorty!" He wrapped her in a bear hug as her joy consumed her. Why did she fit so well in his arms? Her hair danced around his face as she laughed, and that faint cinnamon scent washed over him. "Would ya like ta see fer yerself?"

Her head whipped around, determination in her hazel eyes. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Anyone would want a piece of this, so it's not surprisin'," he said smugly.

"Hmm," she put a finger to her chin. "Or is it _you_ that wants a piece of _this_?"

"I think it goes both ways," he replied coolly, hugging her tighter and resting his cheek on the top of her head.

She exhaled as she rested her hands on one of the arms around her. Her lids were heavy as the familiar smell of metal he gave off relaxed her body. "I think you're right," she said with a yawn.

"Ya ready ta get some sleep?" He asked as she gave a small nod and leaned into him. If she fell asleep like that, he wouldn't mind. At least it would be one of the few good memories he'd have with her. He was totally convinced she'd kill him or leave him once she found out the truth. "Just stay like this, then."

Why was he so stubborn? She wasn't going to sleep while he stayed awake and drove himself crazy! Unwillingly freeing herself from his hold, she turned around to face him. "I told you I was going to help you sleep, stupid," she chided.

"Gihi! Help me sleep, how?" He asked, a sly, studded brow raised.

"Ugh! Not like that!" She swatted at his chest before laying down on her side. Patting the bed next to her, she extended a hand.

How could he go against this beautiful woman's wishes? She had him wrapped around her finger and she didn't even know it. He took her hand and laid on his side facing her.

"Why are you so far away? I can't help you if you're a mile away from me." She giggled as he blushed. She knew why he was keeping a distance between them, but so what? She was tired anyway, so she doubted she'd be awake long enough mess with him. He slid closer to her as she held the sides of his face again.

"Ya sure ya can be this close ta me all night?" He smirked. He had to keep himself from touching her any more than he already had. There was less than a foot of space between them and for whatever reason, he was hyper-conscious about everything around him. He asked her that question, but it was really more for himself.

"I'm pretty much just going to relax your mind," she said, ignoring his comment. This method was similar to what she did to heal him, only without the glow. She was silent as she worked, unknowingly outlining the studs on his face again. Why was she so fascinated by him?

He closed his eyes and let her do whatever she was doing, unaware that his hand moved to her waist. His mind was blank and the weight from his shoulders was lifted temporarily. As she promised, he could definitely see a deep sleep coming soon. Opening heavily lidded eyes, her dainty hands took up most of his vision as they traced the metal on his nose then up to his brows.

"How are you feeling?" Her voice was quiet, and her own eyes were getting heavier by the minute, but she wouldn't allow herself to sleep until he went to sleep, too.

"I'm feelin' tired, Shorty," he gave a sleepy smile as his hand moved to hold her wrist. His thumb grazed the markings on her wrist, noting that they were identical to the ones on her neck. He studied them; had he ever really looked at them before? "I've always wanted ta know what these meant."

"They're what connected me to the spirit world when I was alive," she said softly. She wasn't really too fond of talking about them, but they were apart of her, so it wasn't like she could avoid them. "That's one of the reasons why they were after me. Supposedly, if used correctly, they'd open up a portal… or I'd_ become_ the portal or whatever."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her wrist. "I'm sorry ya had ta go through that, Levy."

She closed the gap between them, wrapping an arm around him and burying her face in his chest. Whatever happened in the past didn't matter to her now. As long as he was by her side from now on… she'd be happy. "It's okay, it's all irrelevant, now."

He couldn't help but hold her close as she drifted off. He was relieved that he wasn't too far from falling asleep himself. Whatever she did, it worked wonders. Though, he knew how his brain worked, and that he typically would have the same recurring nightmares. Would his dark thoughts disturb him again?

He shifted so he was on his back, her body moving with his. He closed his eyes, wondering why life always came back to bite him in the ass. He was never really superstitious, but he truly hoped karma was on his side. Would she stay, or would she run? Would she hate him? Only time would tell.

* * *

Gajeel was the first to wake up; he'd been sleeping for the past week, so he wasn't really that tired to begin with. He sat up and stretched, feeling spectacular… Well, physically. To his surprise, he slept soundly through the night without any disturbing thoughts. He went to scoot off the bed when a loud noise startled him. _'Am I sleeping next to a fuckin' train, or somethin'?' _He looked to his side, only seeing a mess of wild blue hair attached to a noisy face. "Gihi!" So, the little fairy was an angel but sounded like a demon when she slept. He didn't know people could snore like that!

He watched her for a few more seconds, taking in her odd sleeping habits. She said _he_ was tossing and turning earlier in the night? She was literally sprawled out on the bed, almost sideways with the comforter halfway on the floor! Just another one of her quirks to admire.

He stood from the bed and stretched again, the pain in his ribs long gone. He definitely wanted to find a way to show his appreciation once this was all over… if he ever got a chance to. He stepped into his pants before pulling his shirt on, wishing he would have gone back to his bike so he could grab a change of clothes.

His mind was heavy with 'what ifs' and 'whys', and he was craving nicotine. He glanced over at the sleeping angel and made his way to the balcony, managing to slide the glass door open without waking her. _'Pfft. She sleeps like the dead.' _He leaned forward on the railing, his elbows supporting his weight as he lit a cigarette, blowing smoke at the 'No Smoking' sign.

Today was the day. Today was the day he'd get to meet his father after so damn long. He had so many questions, so many things to say, so many tears to shed, both happy and sad ones. Thinking about it, he needed Levy to be there with him. He was going to need that mental support she was so great at giving. Perhaps his dad _wasn't_ going to bring up the talisman. And if so, Gajeel figured he could find a way to talk around it. There were much more important things to discuss than that stupid thing.

He stared out into the dreary morning streets, people-watching as they continued about their morning routines. Did he ever wish he could live the simple human life? Yes. During his whole existence, his life has never been simple. What, with his earlier memories being filled with his parents arguing, fighting with his younger sister, and his older sister caring for him most of the time. He couldn't even achieve peace after death, for goodness sake!

He took another drag as he pulled the talisman out of his pocket and examined it, yet again. He'd grown so attached to the thing, but he had a feeling it wasn't something worth getting attached to. He still hadn't the slightest clue as to why it was a wanted item, but to be honest, he was slowly starting to not care. Nothing but absolute_ shit_ had come from having the damned thing and he was starting to wonder if he should just destroy it. Especially since it only reminded him of how awful his life was. He picked up on the soft rustling coming from the bed and shoved it back in his pocket before she saw him with it. Hopefully, after he met up with his dad, he could get rid of it and never have to think about it again.

"Gajeel…?" Her voice was thick with sleep as she propped herself up. "You know you can't smoke in here."

He turned around and grinned at the mess of an angel on the bed. There was no semblance of order to her; wild blue locks jutting out each direction, straps from her tank top askew, and somehow, one leg of her shorts had ridden up further than the other. Her eyes were barely even open, yet she was up and being herself. He took one final pull from his cigarette then stamped it out, now leaning back against the railing with his arms crossed. "So now yer a law-abiding citizen?"

"I'm an angel, stupid," she said, rubbing her eyes and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"Ya been up all of thirty seconds and the first thing ya say is that?" He poked.

She fell back on the bed and swung her feet. She definitely wasn't ready to get up, but she knew today was an important day for Gajeel. The sooner they got this done, the sooner they could move on with their lives.

"By the way," he said, going back inside and sliding the balcony door shut. "Whatever ya did worked wonders. I slept well fer the first time in a long time. Thanks, Shorty."

She smiled, happy that she was able to be of some assistance. She didn't mind taking care of him… not that he really needed taken care of or anything. "It's nothing, really. I like helping you."

She sat up, a bit more awake as she ran her fingers through her hair. She took in his appearance; he was already dressed and ready to go. "Oh yeah, I brought you a change of clothes. They're in my bag over there," she pointed toward the other side of the bed.

Everything she did for him was like a needle to the heart. She was so thoughtful and considerate, and he only felt like she was wasting it on a bastard like him. How could he not fall for her?

"Yer too nice ta me, Lev," he said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze as he walked by her.

She flashed into her next outfit, too lazy to do it manually. This time, she decided to wear black jean shorts and a black crop top. She wore knee-high black socks that made her legs look a few inches longer and slipped back into her black boots. She had a gut feeling she needed to cover her markings, so she put on her favorite wristbands and her matching choker.

When she looked up, her eyes were blessed with a magnificent view of his barely clothed body. He was stepping into his pants one toned leg at a time while the muscles in his back and shoulders flexed with each movement.

"Ya like what'cha see, Shorty?" He asked, turning his head to the side and giving her a half-smile. He threw his shirt on and sauntered over to her.

"Hmm, maybe I do," she replied just before he towered over her and gripped her chin with his thumb and index finger.

"Well, I'm all yers if ya take it."

He had some nerve! To think she could be swayed by such nonsense! She would _not_ be the one to break first! Swatting him away, she stepped to the side and put her holsters on, then covered them with her shawl. She knew she couldn't feed into his foolishness or he'd somehow win, and she'd be left a flustered mess.

Gajeel scanned her attire, silently admiring how good she looked in just about anything she put on. She wore all black again and it gained his curiosity. "Why all the dark colors?"

"I don't really have a real reason, just what I was most comfortable wearing when I was alive," she said, gathering all of her things into a pile on the bed.

"I like ya better in color," he said, recalling that fresh memory of that burgundy set she just had on. "Don't get me wrong, ya look good in anythin', but yer too bright fer those dark colors."

"Well, maybe I'll switch it up for you, then," she blushed at his words as she nervously combed through her hair with her fingers. It'd been such a long time since someone showed genuine interest in her; it was nice to feel wanted.

"Start by wearin' this, then," he said, moving to stand behind her. He untied the red headband that kept his hair pulled back and let it hang loose as he gently smoothed her hair back. He then slid it onto her hair to keep it out of her face. He turned her around so he could straighten it out and fix any hairs that were out of place, letting side bangs frame her heart-shaped face. "Perfect."

He guided her to the mirror and stood behind her as her face turned a shade similar to the headband. She had to admit, she did look good in color. She also didn't look bad at all standing next to this goblin. In a way, their auras complimented each other. Aside from that, she didn't know if it was just luck that he managed to style her hair so well, but whatever it was, he did an awesome job. She'd never admit it out loud, but it looked better than when she did it! "It looks amazing, Gajeel! But what about you?"

"Gihi!" He laughed as she whipped around with wide eyes. "I have another one, Shorty. Don't worry," he said, conveniently pulling a navy-blue headband out of his back pocket.

Naturally, she took it from his hand and returned his kindness, doing the same for him. _'Too bad it isn't the same color,'_ she pouted internally. His hair was soft and still tangle-free from when she combed it the previous night, so it was easy to put it on. She thought it was amusing how he wore his hair almost exactly like hers; her headband was just pulled a little further back on her head. As she added the finishing touches, her eyes trailed down his face and landed on his lips. There was something… sensual about the current mood and the silence did nothing but encourage it.

He leaned down, not too much, but enough to invade her space. "Hey." His voice was soft and husky, and his red eyes watched her every movement… every facial expression… every emotion in her eyes. He didn't know what was happening, but who was he to question it? Her hands stayed in his hair as her eyes and mind were still elsewhere. "Hey," he said again, gaining her attention.

"Hey…" she trailed off, getting lost in his deep red eyes_. 'If only I'd have met him sooner…'_ Before she was able to finish her thought, her brain short-circuited as he kissed her. She was stunned, but also eager. Not even thinking twice, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as his hand buried itself in her hair. Why were they waiting to do this, again? It felt so right, it was as if she'd finally found her other half, her soulmate.

He sensed the weakness in her knees, so he wrapped his free arm around her small waist and held her to his body. Yeah, he wasn't going to last much longer around her. He couldn't resist capturing her lips as she stared at his, and it inflated his ego all the more when she pulled him closer. He could tell she wanted this just as badly as he did, so why were they torturing themselves, again? It felt so right, was she his other half?

His lips were softer than she thought, and it wasn't an innocent kiss, either. At first, it was sweet and to the point, but once she got into it, so did he. He nibbled on her bottom lip and swiped with his tongue, asking for entrance. Why on Earth would she deny him? She parted her lips slightly and he barged in with no hesitation. Their tongues battled for dominance but his was a wicked thing to try and catch.

He hummed in satisfaction seeing she was just as into it as he was, but they had to go soon, or he'd never get anything done. With great reluctance, he eased himself out of the kiss before it got too heated. _'When the time is right…'_

He'd stolen her breath, and under hazy eyes, she looked up at him with lust. _'Wow…' _Never had she been so swept up by just a kiss! Now, how was she supposed to keep herself at bay knowing how good it felt to be connected to him even in the slightest? She closed her eyes and leaned forward, wanting more when she was met with a finger to her lips.

"Later." Her pout almost broke him, but today was too important to him. He rubbed her shoulders and wrapped her in a hug. "We wouldn't get anythin' done, Shorty. But I promise we'll pick this up soon."

She nodded as he kissed her forehead. He was going to need that good energy for the day, and he hoped it'd keep him going; who knew what this meeting would have in store for him? Even though he was fairly sure it'd be a stressful event, he was still uncertain about how things would turn out with the whole talisman situation. He was confident enough that he'd be able to avoid the topic, but could he do it without raising suspicion?

He released her and watched her walk back to the bed and put away all their things in a trance. _'Did I break her?' _He grinned, she was still hazy-eyed and quiet, likely still processing what just happened. He held out his hand, his grin turning into a smirk. "Ya ready ta go?"


	23. Chapter 23

**Alright, so a few things. I really wanna apologize for making you guys wait so long for this chapter (that didn't even turn out how I wanted it to, ugh)! I finally moved out and away from my ex so I've been settling into the new place with my roomies (who are amazing, btw.) I've been doing nails in my spare time to make a little extra income before I start my new job and I've just been doing things I've wanted to do for a while now that I couldn't because I was never alone lol like catch up on tv shows, binge scary movies, ya know just do NOTHING lol. **

**Second, this chapter was a little challenging for me because I needed to incorporate other characters other than Lalu and gajevy, and since I don't really care about anyone other than those four, it gets a bit challenging to create dialogue and personality sometimes. but, I will say the second half of the chapter was fun to write, after the whole gray and Natsu shit lol.**

**I originally anticipated gajeel to finally meet with his dad in this chapter but the first part of the chap ran quite a bit longer than I expected, as well as the last part. I didn't even expect to have a snippet of gajevy in this chapter buuutttt ... you know how writing goes lol. **

**(ALICIACEVBRA) I think that's what I like about them too. no matter what they always end up together. I think his and laxus' character progressions are absolutely amazing. one of my favorite turnarounds next to Zuko in avatar lol**

**(RAO HYUGA 18) I wanted to somewhat lighten the mood before things went down lol, unfortunately, that won't be until the next chapter. I overestimated how much I could actually skip, and I also wanted to answer a few questions some readers might have. that being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**(GUEST, GUEST) all I can say is, I don't think it'll go down how he expects it to, and as for if metalicana is a good guy or not, you'll have to read to find out! I think you'll have your answer soon enough ;)**

**(GUEST) soooo I have actually never heard of knott the brave, but I'm sorry if any of my ideas don't seem to be original. I'd change things up, but I'm a bit too deep in now lol. but I hope you enjoy this version of whatever this is nonetheless :)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

"How long are we supposed to stay in this stupid place?!"

Salamander and Gray decided to stake out and ambush the goblin that had the talisman. They more or less took over rather than found a resting point on one of the mountains that overlooked the cave entrance and have been holed up for a bit. Gray had some unresolved issues that he intended on beating out of him, and Salamander just wanted the talisman so he could move on with his master plan. They'd been in the cold for almost two weeks and were starting to get restless. "It's cold!"

"Quit yappin'!" The dark-haired angel snapped. He was starting to remember why he didn't spend too much time with this idiot; he'd been complaining for the past week now and it was getting annoying. "Do you want this thing or not?"

"Of course, I want it, dumbass! It's just cold out here!" Salamander wasn't too fond of cold weather like his comrade was. Even though he had a particularly high body temperature, he was still susceptible to low temperatures. Why did this guy have to be in the cold part of the world?

"It's not that bad, flame brain." Gray rolled his eyes. Wasn't he able to make fire? How could he let something like that slip his mind? He shook his head, not understanding the way his brain worked sometimes. "If you're that cold then just make some fire and stop complaining!"

Salamander huffed, small puffs of warm air billowing not too far from his face. The last thing he wanted to do was exhaust his time and power to give himself a little warmth. Especially when said power may be needed in the near future to subdue a goblin. "You want me to waste what little energy I have?"

"Then deal with it! Shut up!" Gray shut out the annoying blob next to him temporarily while he thought over the current events. He was still more than skeptical about this whole situation, and he had a feeling this 'Metalicana' guy was trying to get the talisman for himself… but why? He typically liked to give things like this a little more thought than normal, but here this pink-haired idiot was, up and raring to go along with whatever this… this… _thing_ said! He glanced over at a shivering Salamander. How stupid was this guy? Well, he wasn't stupid, but he didn't have the brightest ideas. "You shoulda worn more clothes! That damn vest isn't doing you any favors!"

A pile of pink hair whipped to the side in annoyance. "Shut it, droopy eyes!"

Gray ignored him, pushing his own snappy retaliation aside. "Aren't you even a little curious as to who that guy is?"

"Why would I be?" Salamander replied matter-of-factly. "Whoever he is makes no difference to me!"

Gray exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "You're so dumb. We don't even know who or what that guy is, yet you're so ready to trust him."

"Obviously, asshole, I don't trust him! That's why we're ambushing this goblin to grab it before he does," he replied confidently. "Which is _why_ I won't use up any of my energy, just in case I need to work him over!"

"Yeah," Gray mumbled under his breath. There's no way that goblin wouldn't give the thing _back_ to him. Especially if it's their reunion. Supposedly, they haven't seen each other in quite some time and given how similar they seem to be, they were sure to have had a deep bond of some sort back when they were alive. _'He's definitely gonna show.'_

"I just wish he would show up, already!"

A loud and overly excited voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Why? So he can get the crap beat outta him again? I've got some unfinished business with this guy," the dark-haired angel stated vividly, recalling back to a couple of weeks ago. He definitely intended on taking his anger out on that ugly creature; he looked forward to releasing that pent-up stress.

"Yeah, didn't you let him get away? Like a dummy?" Salamander could never help himself when it came to pissing the ice angel off. He threw his hands behind his head in laughter before getting a sharp jab to the stomach.

"I didn't let him get away," Gray clarified, a condescending tilt to his voice. "He rusted the chains somehow. Which I don't understand because they were supposed to be magic-canceling."

"Blame Freed," Salamander choked out, his arms hugged around his midsection. "He has his head so far up Laxus' ass, he can't do anything right!"

"Well, Laxus hasn't been around in a while. That shouldn't be an excuse." Gray trailed off; his attention directed to something off in the distance. It was the goblin, he was sure of it, but… he wasn't alone. He moved a few meters to the ledge of the cliff to see if it was possible to see the source of the unknown presence.

"Ya know I scared him off!"

Gray ignored the background noises coming from his comrade and tried to zero in on the energy. There was something familiar about it, yet foreign. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but if he thought about it hard enough, he was sure he would be able to pinpoint it. He waited a few seconds as it barely inched closer; the goblin was clearly on foot. Something about this situation told him their luck was soon to run out. _'Maybe we can take this guy and the goblin.'_ He turned around to find Salamander flexing his muscles obnoxiously. God, everything he did made Gray want to fight him, but for now, he had to keep it cordial.

"See this?" The pink-haired angel boasted, pointing at his arms. "Whenever Laxus comes back around, he won't know what hit him!"

"Salamander," Gray tried to get his attention, but he was too busy inflating his own ego to hear. He waited a few more seconds while he rambled on and on about his anthills before trying again. "Salamander."

Of course, he was oblivious to anything other than himself at the moment, unintentionally turning a deaf ear his way. "I kinda actually want him to show his face again so I can show him who's boss! Then he'll know not to-"

"NATSU!" Gray was fed up. He knew he hated being called by his human name, but he also knew that it was the only thing that would get his attention.

In an instant, Salamander's joyous expression was replaced with fury, and had his fellow Fallen by the collar. "What the hell did you call me?" Steam came from his nostrils with every exhale as his grip tightened. Something about being called by his given name didn't sit right with him. He didn't want to associate with his old life, so whenever anyone reminded him of it, he got _pissed._

"Tch! Calm down and shut up! It's the only way I knew you'd listen!" Gray pried the hand from his collar and shoved him back a few feet. He should have known that was a fighting word, but there was no time for petty squabbles.

"What's so damn important that you're risking your life right now?" Salamander asked, poised and ready to throw a punch at any moment.

"Risking my life?" Gray snorted. "Please. You couldn't kill me even if you wanted to!"

Knowing those words would start a fight, the ice angel still said them confidently before taking a punch to the face. Gray used the sleeve of his coat to wipe the blood from his mouth after staggering back a few steps. _'I guess I had that coming.' _Too bad he wasn't one to let this asshole get away with punching him like that. "You wanna try that again?"

Salamander grit his teeth, his hands clenching into fists as he was gearing up to attack again. He loved a challenge, especially when that challenge had something to do with proving his strength. He charged, and not even two seconds passed before he stopped dead in his tracks leaving Gray slightly confused.

"What's the matter?" He taunted. "Did you finally realize how weak you are compared to me?"

"Shut up! Do you feel that?" This must have been what Gray was trying to tell him earlier. It'd been ages since he felt this energy, and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier, idiot!" Gray shouted as Salamander shoved by him to see if he could find the source.

"You know what that is, right?" The fire angel turned to face the ice angel, pointing a thumb in the direction of the energy. "That's an angel. Not a Fallen."

Gray's eyes widened in shock as the pieces started coming together. It made sense as to why it felt so familiar, but what were they doing on Earth? With a goblin of all creatures? Could they possibly be on their side? Were they there to help the Fallen get back to Heaven? "An angel? What are they doing here?"

"I dunno," Salamander replied, peering over the edge. "But he's with the goblin, that's for sure."

"Maybe they're here to help?" Gray walked back over to the ledge and kept his eyes on the area the energy was coming from. "I'll keep an eye out over here, you keep watch on the other side. They're bound to show up soon."

Salamander moved to the other side of the cliff while Gray focused on the area at the bottom of the cliff. There were only two directions they could come from if they were on foot, and he made sure he had clear visuals on either side. _'Why aren't they teleporting?'_ He was sure the angel could, at least. Perhaps they were on the Fallen's side and was gunning for the talisman? He could only hope.

He must have been watching that same spot for at least five minutes, and they still hadn't shown. How intense was the angel's energy that he could feel it from such a distance? _'Maybe it wasn't them?'_ No, it had to be. He'd recognize that presence anywhere. He locked that ugly energy away in his mind for the next time he got his hands on that damned goblin. _'I mean, who did he think he was? Talking to me like that?'_ Again, his thoughts immediately took him back to when he had him locked up in the cell. That beast had some nerve! _'He's definitely gonna get what's coming to him, that's for sure!'_

Amidst his thoughts, something in the distance caught his eye. _'No way…' _Was that who he thought it was? But how? Why? He stood there, dumbfounded for a few seconds as he wrapped his mind around this unexpected turn of events. Unfortunately, just as he predicted, their luck ran out. "Salamander," he called without breaking his line of vision. "You should see this."

"Better be good," he replied, sauntering over. "I think they're getting close."

"Just look!"

Salamander looked over the area until he finally found what Gray was fixated on. Immediately, his blood began to boil. The little spirit girl was an _angel_ now? What kind of shit luck was that?! There was no way he'd be able to take her on as he was in that state. He knew he'd have to jump a goblin, but he had no idea he'd be accompanied by an angel… an angry angel at that. He was certain she still had it out for the Fallen; there was no way she was on their side. But why was she with that creature? What was her current motive? What business did she have with Metalicana?

"Salamander." Gray couldn't see into the future, but he always knew when his fiery friend was about to explode. "I don't think it's a good idea to go down there. We should go."

He only stood there, stewing in his anger and staring down at the unsightly happenings. Why him? Why did he always get the short end of the stick? First, with the dumb blonde failing to retrieve the talisman for him, then with Laxus turning on him, finally, the woman who was killing off his men was reborn into a freaking angel! An angel that had no business on Earth unless she had some unfinished business. _'How corrupt! How could negative energy like that be reborn into something good?'_

He was so fed up, he almost wanted to go down there, but there was no way Gray would let him… for good reason, he supposed. He sighed, his hands resting on the back of his head as he turned to face a silent Gray. "Guess my luck just keeps getting shittier, huh?" Salamander's anger didn't give him the time to respond. Punching the ground beneath him, he disappeared, leaving the dark-haired angel to figure out what to do next.

"Shit!" Gray looked down at the angel and the goblin; he was sure that asshole got their attention, but he couldn't really tell from that distance. All he could focus on now was coming up with a new plan or there was going to be hell to pay. _'Alright, first thing's first.'_ Maybe all wasn't lost… there was at least a little good that came from all this. He glanced at the pair below him one last time before pulling out his phone and vanishing. _'What a waste of time.'_

* * *

_There was a full moon that night; that much he could remember. That night that was so cold and dark was nothing he wasn't used to. He'd spent many a night in his current situation, yet he always seemed to find a way out. He sat alone in his cell on the bench he'd become all too familiar with, waiting for the right moment. He never knew what exactly he was waiting for, but it was coming. _

_The off-white bulb flickered above him, eventually burning out and leaving only the dim lighting coming from the door of the room that contained his metal cell. Another night in the dark. Why had this become normal? He never showed any remorse, nor did he give the time of day to acknowledge his wrongdoings. He didn't care. Why should he? He let his head fall back against the hard walls, parts of his dark hair landing on his face with his movements._

_Footsteps gained his attention as the door to his room opened and a silhouette of a man approached the barred cell. "Mister Redfox." A deep, almost inhuman voice sounded as the bars began to slide open with a loud, scraping sound._

_A scoff emanated from the man on the bench as he rolled his neck. "Ya can't fool me…" He paused as he fixated his piercing red gaze on the thing before him. "Demon."_

_A dark and sinister rumble came from the creature as it showed its true demonic form in the hopes that it would be intimidating enough to get what it wanted. Had this been any normal human, they'd have been cowering in fear, covered in their own bodily fluids begging it to spare their pathetic life. But this… this was no ordinary human. It inched closer, stalking the man as he were its prey. "You have something that belongs to me."_

_The man smirked, a chuckle escaping him as he cocked his head to the side. "Issat right?"_

_It looked as though the demon glitched as it rushed him, immediately inches from his face with the man's neck within its grasp. It squeezed as four long claws threatened to break skin, and an unearthly growl filled the cell. "Don't play dumb, human, or you'll never again live to see the light of day."_

_The man curled up the corner of his mouth, his gaze never faltering. "Yer just gonna hafta kill me, then," he exposed more of his neck as the demon gripped tighter. "Oh wait, ya can't. 'Cuz y'know I'll rip out'cher heart faster than ya can kill me."_

_The demon squeezed almost hard enough to puncture his jugular as the man just sat there with an evil grin… staring. This man's mind was too far gone. Further than any human mind should ever be. He showed no fear, but contempt, and that pissed the demon off greatly. "Tch. A human like you has no idea what—"_

"_Oh, I know 'xactly what it is," the man clarified. "But the question's how much ya wan' it back."_

_The demon's claws broke the skin on the man's neck, blood trailing down to the tattered black shirt he wore. Leaning his head to the side a bit, his large hands formed into fists. "Ya sure 'bout'cher decision, here?" _

"_What nerve!" The demon was appalled at the set this human had on him. No one in their right mind would ever speak to him that way if they knew who he was. He let loose another deep growl, this one more gravely than the last. "Do you know who I am?!"_

"_D'ya __know who __**I**__ am?" The man countered. "I think ya do. An' I know that's the reason y'ain't killin' me yet. 'Cuz ya can't. So, how'sabout we make a deal?"_

_Another rumble came from what sounded like the pits of hell, shaking the cell and possibly the entire building as the demon released the man's neck. "Speak."_

_The man put a sadistic smile on display, his unusually large canine teeth bearing their unsightly inhumanness. "I've somethin' ya want, an' ya have somethin' I __**need**__."_

"_And what might a human need from me?" The demon pondered, wondering if it should just take the risk and wipe this threat off the face of the earth._

"_**Power.**__"_

* * *

It'd been years since he'd seen his son, his favorite child. The only one he could truly see himself in. It was truly out of character of him to say he actually _missed_ him, but he supposed it was only natural. He missed his prime years; the perfect time to mold him into something great. Now, he felt he had the perfect opportunity. His boy was dead and reborn into a killer. A killer that might be easy to sway if spoken to correctly. He could only hope he brought the talisman with him when he showed.

Would he show? Of course, he would. Metalicana had a connection with his son when he was young, and the others hated it. He tried not to think about the fact that he never got to see him grow up, only because his sad thoughts would quickly turn vile at the sheer thought of the boy's mother. That damned woman. He had two other children with her, both of which took her last name. It disgusted him to know that he lay with her and made another child after they had their son… his son. She only gave the boy his name because of their close resemblance, and that may have been the only nice thing she'd done for him.

She loved him, but she hated him more. He would always question why she got with him in the first place, and her answer would always be the same; she didn't know. Truth was, she wanted to tame him. It was all just a challenge to her, and he knew it. Much to her distaste, he was stubborn and wasn't one to be tamed. He'd constantly get into trouble, often spending nights in a cold cell while leaving her and their daughter to worry. He couldn't have cared less. He never wanted a family, yet that manipulating witch seemed to get three kids out of him in the hopes that he'd marry her.

After his son was born, he strongly considered it. Until one night… the moon was full, and his cell was particularly cold that time around. His life changed for the better—_his_ better. That fateful night, he threw everything away to start anew. At first, he didn't just leave. He stayed around for a few more years, still doing the same shit he always did to drive a wedge between them while somehow having another child with her. He wasn't anywhere near a saint; he wasn't as good a lover to that woman nor a father to their kids as he should have been… not that he really cared or anything. He had more important things on his mind than a woman and her three kids.

He supposed he cared at least a little bit, but after so long, he grew tired of pretending to be something he wasn't. He was the type of man to value power and control over anything, and he truly believed that once he gained it, he'd have it all. Before he left, he left something valuable with his son in the hopes that it would be safe with him. He knew the boy hadn't the slightest idea what it was or the significance it held, and he figured it could always be retrieved whenever he needed it. Eventually, that time came, and he sent his men to collect it by any means… no matter the outcome.

Inconveniently for him, his plan failed, and he had to come up with another way to retrieve what was his. It was a bit after when he was told it'd been stolen by a 'spirit girl' who was killing off the fallen angels for whatever reason he didn't care to figure out. He was able to keep tabs on whatever happened on Earth and in the spirit world, so when he found out that the spirit girl had been killed by his very own son, he was certain he got it back.

Had the apple fallen far from the tree? When he successfully reached out to him, he was able to just barely see a blurred vision of him chained up in a dark cell. It was a shame to see his son in such a situation, but it almost pleased him knowing they seemed to be alike in more ways than one. That did nothing but boost the confidence in his plan to convince him to be on his side. If he was quite honest, he was a bit excited to see the only decent thing that came from him. He was certain he'd have so many questions. He'd most likely be a bit emotional. But how would he feel if he knew the truth?

Metalicana sat up in his iron throne with great anticipation. He knew his son was coming; he felt it. It'd been so long since he felt the presence of the talisman, but he couldn't help but shake the feeling that this meeting wasn't going to go as planned… not that it really mattered. He'd make sure that by the end of their meeting, an agreement will have been made.

* * *

Even though they were in a different part of the world now, the dreariness seemed to travel with them. Gajeel was silent most of the way aside from making small talk when Levy would be the first one to speak. He'd keep it short and simple, quickly retreating back to his thoughts afterward. She hated feeling like she couldn't do anything to help improve his mood. She couldn't give him the closure he needed, nor could she change what happened in the past. What could one do in a situation like this aside from offer support?

The bike ride was short, but the heaviness on their shoulders made it feel longer. Every once in a while, she'd give him a reassuring squeeze hoping that he'd understand that everything would be alright as long as she was with him. A small gesture that he noticed and appreciated but couldn't bring himself to verbalize. He eventually spoke first when they got to their destination, well, a few miles from their destination.

"Sorry, Shorty. Seems like this is the closest place ta park."

Levy assured him it was fine as he assisted her off the bike. Was she grateful for the long walk ahead? Or was she dreading the silence she _knew_ lie before them? She was very observant. Typically, he would try to crack jokes, mainly at her expense, to try and get his mind off of whatever was bothering him at the moment, but this time? His silence spoke volumes. If anything, she understood his taciturnity. Something that affected his life so deeply… something that changed the choices he made… something that caused him to carry so much weight for such a long time…she understood.

She stretched as she gazed out into the horizon. Wherever they were, it was cold, but it was worth it for the view. Snow-covered mountains that reached higher than she could see surrounded them, almost blending with the whitish-grey skies above them. She gave a small laugh; _'The weather definitely goes with the mood.'_

"What's funny, Blue?"

Gajeel stood next to her and mimicked her actions, staring at the sights around them. He glanced at the tiny angel to his left and smirked as she shrugged. He lit a cigarette and blew out the smoke with a sigh. Spending so much time on Earth was making him miss his old life when he got to experience simple things like this whenever he wanted. It would have been nice to meet her normally, and he couldn't help but wonder if he could have helped her when they were alive. Now, all he could do was make the most of these last few moments with her because… who wouldn't leave someone after learning a truth like that?

She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder as he took another drag. Why did he kiss her? He immediately shunned himself internally for giving himself a taste of a pleasure he'd never get to fully experience. She tasted so sweet, and when she gave into him, he wanted nothing more than to sweep her off her feet, but he had to stop himself. He couldn't… not until she knew. If by some miracle she decided to stick around afterward, then he'd gladly give her anything and more.

"Ya ready ta go?" He took a final pull and stomped out his cigarette, ready to get this done and over with.

Levy smiled up at him and nodded. "You know, if you give me the coordinates, I could just teleport us the rest of the way there."

"Hell no! Yer on yer own there, Shorty."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and started his walk, Levy pouting as she jogged lightly to catch up to him. "Rude! You just left me!"

Gajeel looked at her puffed out cheeks and laughed. "Yer so tiny, I just assumed ya hopped in my pocket!"

Levy gasped in frustration, swatting his arm. The nerve of this guy! "God, Gajeel! You're such an idiot!"

The rest of their walk was a quiet one just as she anticipated. It was a journey, but a beautiful one, nonetheless. Aside from the sights, the goblin next to her was getting antsier and antsier by the moment, which only meant they were getting closer to his closure. There was a brief moment where they heard a rumbling noise that sounded like it came from the mountain above them, and she could have sworn she felt something when she focused on it, but it disappeared just as quickly as she noticed it.

Another five minutes pass when they found themselves standing in front of an uninviting, dark tunnel. "Um…" Levy's blood ran cold at the alarms ringing in her head. This was _not_ a good place to be. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Yeah, I guess it's somewhere through there," he replied, his gaze landing on a worried angel. "What is it? Ya don't believe me? Here. These're the numbers."

The color left her face as she opened the crumpled piece of paper he'd handed her. Why? Why of all places was it here? Why was his father here? Gajeel told her he was worried his dad was something evil, and this only confirmed it. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he seemed to be ignorant of what this place was, and she wasn't sure if she should be the one to tell him or let him find out on his own.

"Ya look like ya got somethin' ta say," he said, those red eyes staring at her almost expectantly.

"Gajeel…" Levy took his hand, surprised at how cold it was.

"Damn, Lev. How're ya so warm in this weather?" He asked, taking her other hand and holding them to his chest.

"I use my energy to keep me warm but listen to me!" Her honey eyes bored into his ruby, a seriousness he'd never seen coming from her. "Do you know where we are? What this place is?"

He cocked a studded brow, wondering why she was suddenly asking where they were. He looked around, thinking to himself for a bit. "I think this place is called—"

"No! Not the name of the area! This specific location… it's a well-known spot. I'm surprised you don't know about it," she explained.

"Why would I know 'bout somethin' I don't care fer?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders. "I never came here before now, and I don't spend enough time on this side of Earth ta care 'bout what's over here."

Levy's heart broke for him. She _had_ to be the one to tell him. He was already going into this blind, so any piece of information she could offer would help him greatly… even if it _was_ information he wouldn't like. "Gajeel…"

Taking a deep breath, she leaned into him, pressing her cheek into his chest as she gathered the courage to break the bad news to him. "These coordinates… there's a portal… that leads directly to the Underworld."

His heart sank as soon as she said those words. The Underworld? What the fuck? So, all the suspicions he had were true? He could have sworn that card-reading reaper made a face when she pinpointed the location, but he didn't think too much about it at the time. Was this why? Why didn't she tell him? He held the blue-haired angel by the shoulders and pulled her away from his body. Her own, beautiful eyes were welling up with tears for him, and that only opened the floodgates.

He fell to his knees, sorrow and despair cocooning him as he let the tears fall. "My dad… he's in the Underworld? But why? I… was wrong about him?" Memories of how he treated his family flooded him. Were they really right about him? Had he been on the wrong side his whole life?

Levy quickly kneeled in front of him, holding him as he processed everything. "Maybe you weren't wrong about him, and he's somehow stuck down there, or something."

Gajeel knew the truth; no one willingly went to the Underworld. He knew people were reborn into whatever corresponded with how they lived their life and that meant nothing good for his father. He wrapped his arms around her small waist in a gentle hug as he composed himself. What should he do? He knew a little bit of the truth, but it wasn't enough to give him the answers he needed. Times like these, he wished he would've left the talisman with Lily, but thinking about it, whether he had the talisman on his person or not wouldn't stop his father from talking about it in the first place. Maybe he could still avert the topic. "No… he wasn't a good guy when he lived… but… I still wanna talk ta him."

Levy grabbed the sides of his face and rested her forehead against his. She hated seeing him so broken. "Gajeel. You are stronger than anyone I know. You carry so much weight on your shoulders, yet you still smile. You have heavy things on your mind, yet you still think about those you care about, even if it's only Lily and I. You motivate me just by being yourself, and you haven't made a bad choice yet. I applaud you for wanting to still speak to your dad after knowing some of the truth, and I support you and any decision you make. No matter what happens, I'll be right here, by your side."

His eyes softened as her thumbs wiped away his tears. She always knew just what to say. Fuck, he really didn't deserve her. "Ya promise?" Even though it was all for naught, it was still nice to have someone give their word to stay with him. "Ya can't leave me. Ever."

"I promise, Gajeel."


	24. Chapter 24

**ugh, I'm annoyed. *rolls eyes* I have nothing to say other than the fact that I'm just gonna stop trying to plan my chapters out in advance... they never EVER go the way I want it to. not that I'm mad, or anything; this is a good chapter, just nowhere near what I expected. **

**(ALICIACEVBRA) yes, I'm pretty much enjoying life right now, everything is going well so far for the first time in a while. thanks for tuning in with me! I'll have a little more free time so I'll be able to get a chapter out hopefully every two weeks or sooner. I hope things are going well with you! **

**(RAO HYUGA 18) ****if only you knew just how annoyed I am lmao. in my head, gajeel was supposed to meet with his dad like 2 chapters ago. but whatever. ****130,000 words later and I've only JUST scratched the surface of a story that's only spanned like two weeks T_T but part two of this story will introduce new challenges and hopefully different characters and situations, and maybe I can do a time skip lol**

**(GUEST) Yeah, metalicana is kind of an ass in this story, because hey, not everyone's a good person. I honestly hate the cliches of the role models being good and genuine people, and that everything ends all flowers and sunshine. I like a little bit of realism... it's fun to think about. (i wasn't foreshadowing I promise lol) :)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Heavy arms wrapped around her slim body protectively as he slept; it was as if his subconscious were worried she'd run away. She woke up pressed against his bare chest, memories of the previous night flooding her mind. His strong, but gentle hands, those soft words spoken in his deep voice, the way he held her and made love to her… If she didn't love him before, she was certain he did something last night to make her fall for him then. But it didn't matter. Regardless, she was his.

He was in a deep sleep and she wanted to look at his face, but he was holding her too close to his body, so she settled for tracing the muscles in his arms… his abs… the tattoo on his chest. _'Am I trying to get myself riled up again?' _Blushing madly, she weaseled herself out of his arms and sat on the edge of the bed. Not even five seconds pass when she felt a hand on her wrist.

"You better not be thinking of disappearing again," spoke a groggy Laxus.

'_Some deep sleep.'_ She smiled and looked at him, taking in his gruff morning look. His now light-blue eyes were half open and if short hair could somehow be messy, he definitely achieved it every time he woke up. She loved it.

"Where would I run off to?"

He released her wrist and rolled onto his back, closing his eyes. "I don't know, but you have a habit of running off when I need you the most."

Sleepy Laxus was always just a smidgen more honest than usual, not that it was really an issue. He never said stuff he hadn't said before, he just wasn't so… emotionless when he was half conscious. For that very reason, she took more consideration into what he said in times like these. Did he really think she'd run off just to 'run off'?

"Laxus," she said softly, crawling back onto the bed and sitting next to him. "I'd never leave you. You should know that by now."

He still hadn't reopened his eyes, which only meant he was fighting sleep. "Yeah, well apparently you don't have a choice with that asshole still around. That's why I gotta stay by your side forever."

Oh, right. Loke. She'd been meaning to talk to him about what he told her, but when was a good time? "I actually have to talk to you about some stuff, Lax."

He pinched his brow, already annoyed. Under his breath, he muttered, "I'll kill him."

Lucy didn't know what Loke did to make Laxus so hostile toward him, and she couldn't say she wasn't curious about what exactly went down the day before. She'd never seen him enraged to the point where he was releasing electric currents. She leaned into his space, her fingers moving to trace the scar on his eye.

"Why do you hate him so much?"

"Because I can see through his shit," he calmly replied. The real question was why _didn't_ she hate him? The guy was clearly up to something and it irritated him to no end that she didn't see it.

"Because he's telling you shit just to get in your head. He's trying to trick you," he continued. "I don't have proof, but I know it."

"What makes you so sure?" Her fingers moved down to the marks she left on his neck, already beginning to fade. She pouted, _'I'm gonna have to make more.'_

Laxus sat up, propping himself up with his hands behind him. Everything Leo did was a shot toward him, and the only thing other than the talisman he cared about at the moment was Lucy. "Every time you were with him and I'd come looking for you, he'd run. The moment you mentioned me to him, he knew exactly who I was. Think about it, Lu. He's playing dumb."

He had a seriousness in his eyes that startled her. Maybe there was some truth to what he was saying. Thinking back on it, the first time she brought Laxus up in conversation, he immediately called him selfish. Not one time did he say anything positive about him. He'd spend most of their time together trying to convince her that he's a bad person and to leave him. _'So, was there any truth to what Loke said?'_

"Laxus," she put her hand on his shoulder as she hesitated a bit. "…Loke told me that you never needed my help with the talisman…"

Annoyance flashed across his face briefly. For some reason, he didn't want her to know that truth. He didn't want her to know that he saved her because he'd already loved her, and Salamander crossed the line when he put his hands on her. He didn't want her to know that he wanted to keep her around just for the sake of having her around. He felt if she knew those things, it would make him look like a creep, and he very much cared about what she thought of him. Maybe this all stemmed from him not knowing how to properly express himself. "I told you, you're the only other person who knows how to—"

"He told me you were dragging me around… controlling me…"

Perhaps in the beginning when he took her from the bunker, she'd have believed that. Now, she wasn't so sure. She knew he had a demanding side to him, but even before the previous night, he'd been showing her a softer, nicer side of him. She highly doubted he was using her, so what reason would Loke have to lie about that?

Laxus brought a large hand up to her cheek, bringing her eyes to meet his. "Is that what you believe? Do you think I'm controlling you?"

She got lost in his sea-blue eyes almost instantly, seeing nothing but a genuine soul. They were connected now. There was no way he'd do any wrong by her; he let that be known clear as day with his actions. She shook her head and closed her eyes as he brought her into his chest in an embrace.

"What else did he tell you?" He just knew that asshole ran his big mouth and tried to do and say anything to change her mind.

"He told me there was another reason you left the bunker," she said, her arms wrapping around him gently.

'_Another reason?'_ Now, that was curious. There was no real reason he left other than the fact that he was tired of Salamander's bullshit and idiot plans to destroy everything. He was already planning on leaving with her, he just didn't plan on it being so… troublesome. Though, he was quite interested in whatever lie he told Lucy.

"Oh, really? And what might that be?"

Lucy pulled away, now her turn to have a serious look on her face. She held him by the shoulders, staring at him intently. "Laxus. Are you being targeted?"

Targeted? Did he hear her correctly? He could only sit there and stare at her in disbelief as he tried to wrap his head around this foolishness. Who would be dumb enough to basically put a hit out on him? Even the other Fallen steered clear from getting on his bad side… aside from the usual runts. Thinking about it, even Salamander wouldn't have done that; he was more of a 'settle it himself' type of guy. If that were the case, Freed would have found a way to tell him, too.

"He said that was the reason I left?"

He watched as she nodded. He really had to think about this. It was highly unlikely that someone would be targeting him, but not impossible. How long had it been since they left that place? They'd been gone for months now. A contract doesn't take months to complete, and if it did, that would mean there would at least had to have been a few attempts. Not a single being tried to attack him or Lucy since they've been gone. So, either the world's shittiest contractor was on the loose, or Leo was lying out of his ass… or maybe he wasn't.

"When exactly did he tell you this?"

Lucy knew he was trying to figure things out, and honestly, she should have given it some more thought, too. He most likely would have told her right away if he were on the run, and the more she thought about it, he never acted like someone was following him.

"He told me yesterday."

"Yesterday," Laxus repeated, dragging a hand through his hair then resting it on the top of his head. "See, that doesn't make sense."

Her hands slid down to rest on his chest and he looked at her, those brown, expectant eyes waiting for answers. "Lucy. It takes a few days, _maybe_ a week at most to finish a contract. We've been gone for months."

Someone was lying to her, and her gut told her who to suspect. It was unfortunate that someone who was once dear to her turned into someone she didn't know, but there was really nothing she could do about him being cast away. What happened in those three years?

"So, he was lying to me…"

"See, that's the thing," he continued. "I don't think he's fully lying. If someone were targeting me from the get-go, he would have told you the moment you mentioned my name since he cares _so_ much about you and your safety."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his sarcasm, then nodded in agreeance. Loke did care about her, and if this were true, he would have told her and taken her away while Laxus was busy going back to the bunker.

"What do you mean, 'not fully lying'?"

"Why all of a sudden is someone targeting me? The only assholes that have an issue with me are those idiots at the bunker, and they would rather take me down themselves than stoop so low to have someone else do it. He's the only new factor in this whole situation and the fact that he didn't tell you until _now_? That leads me to suspect some things." He wasn't sure if he should go pointing fingers yet, but it was the only thing that made sense.

"W-What are you saying?"

She looked worried, but she needed to hear his take on things. The last thing he wanted was for her to get caught up with the wrong crowd again. "I'm saying, I don't think your friend _Loke_ is as innocent as he seems. He really wants to get rid of me, and he's the type to stop at nothing to get what he wants."

Laxus knew she didn't want to hear that; he understood that she had some attachment to him. After all, he and Levy were all she had at her lowest point. He supposed Leo would have been considered to be trustworthy at some point, but now? He'd been gone too long, and anything can change in that time. He may as well have been a stranger.

He fell back onto his pillow, bringing her down with him and pulling her into his arms. She was upset, he could tell. It was a lot to process, so he couldn't blame her. He rubbed her back, hoping to calm her nerves. "Lu. Don't worry about it. He's too chicken to do anything to me personally, and even if someone _is_ coming after me, I won't let anything happen. There's nothing that can make me leave your side. I'll keep you safe."

In the beginning, she genuinely trusted Loke, but sometime in the few years he was gone, something changed. He wasn't the Loke she knew and loved. That wasn't her friend anymore, and she was upset that he was even a suspect. The only one she knew she truly had was Laxus, and he hadn't been anything but honest with her. She never once doubted his authenticity, even when he was being an ass. She sighed, hugging him tighter. As always, his words comforted her.

"I'm sorry, Lu," he said, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her arm. He knew she didn't really want to talk, but he needed some sort of… confirmation to know that she was still with him. Even though he knew she was, he just needed to hear it. Deftly, he had her flipped on her back as he hovered over her, staring into her wide, chocolate eyes.

"Lucy…" He caressed the side of her face, letting his fingers wander up and down her cheek. "Do you trust me, Lucy?"

She nodded, her breath catching with each slight touch. She lifted her hand to mimic his actions, cupping his cheek. "I trust you."

He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, relishing in just being close to her. She smelled so good; it was a wonder how he hadn't lost himself in her sooner.

"I love you, Lu. I really do."

She lifted his head, looking into his now sky-blue eyes again. There was a sad look in them, a look that broke her heart. Why was he sad? She trusted and believed him, and she'd gladly choose him over Loke any day. Didn't he see that?

"I know, Lax. I'm here with you."

With those words, he kissed her. The sweet taste of her bringing back memories of the night before. He needed to lighten the mood, anyway. His lips trailed down her chin and stopped at her neck, adding more spots to the ones he made before. Her body trembled, and he smirked against her skin. He knew what she liked, and what would provoke the responses he wanted, but what he _didn't _know was what she tasted like. _'Let's find out.'_

She squirmed beneath him, not knowing where he was going to strike next, but she liked it. Her mind was reeling as he was busying his lips and hands, and everywhere he touched left her craving more. He rested his forearm next to her and shifted his weight so he could grope one breast while his tongue danced on the other. She was quickly reminded of how amazing it felt when he touched her, and all she wanted to do was return the favor.

She let out a soft moan and he groaned in response, her body giving him all the fuel he needed to continue. Her chest rose against him as she tried to summon the words that were caught in her throat, her hands sliding up his shoulders and up to his face. "Laxusss…"

He looked up and was met with a hazy gaze. He grinned; she wanted something, but she was going to have to use her voice. Creeping his way back up, his lips found hers again as he pressed against her. Having never left her mound, his fingers pinched and pulled on the pert nipple atop it while his kisses made their way to her ear. "Tell me what you want."

The breath on her ear gave her goosebumps, and the baritone of his voice sent shivers up her spine. She noticed that it'd always get a pitch or two deeper when it came to pillow talk and it was something she found incredibly sexy. She brought her hand to the back of his neck, stroking it tenderly. "I… want to please you."

Of course, she did. She _was_ perfect, wasn't she? Perfect to him, at least. He'd love nothing more than to lay back and let her do whatever she pleased with his body, but this time, he'd already told himself that it was about making _her_ feel good. He took her hand and kissed it; she was way too gorgeous. He smiled, that once sad look in his blue eyes now replaced with promise.

"Today," he paused, his digits gliding down her stomach. "Is about you."

His tongue dragged across every surface his fingers touched, eventually making its way down. His name was nothing but a whisper from her lips, her lithe body quivered underneath him while he placing wet kisses down her torso… to her waist… her hips… Naturally, her legs parted for him and he finally saw the pretty pink slice of heaven that had him lose his mind. Not wanting to give in to his desire just yet, he continued his assault on her inner thigh, turning her into a whimpering mess.

She moaned wantonly as he switched between legs, nipping at her soft skin while his arms wrapped snugly around her thighs. She gasped lightly, knowing those royal-blue eyes were fixated on her most intimate parts; it made her ache. It lit a blaze inside of her that she only felt with him, and every touch left her chasing the feeling. Her own slender fingers began tracing circles around her hardened nipples in the hopes of quelling her intense urges, and unfortunately failing. With a soft moan, she gently thrust her hips upward, her core only inches from his face.

He wanted to tease her a bit and make her beg for it, but who was he to deny her pleasure? It would be cruel of him to keep her from something only _he_ could give her, and he definitely made sure there could be no other. Her body yearned for him and she smelled absolutely divine. Lapping at her velvety skin, she took him by surprise as she pushed her slick opening toward his face, that alluring, spicy scent of her arousal flooding his nostrils. Before he knew it, he'd planted a sloppy kiss on her nether lips, which earned him a frustrated cry of pleasure.

He was teasing her! She moaned impatiently, her arms reaching under the pillow above her head to hold onto the edge of the bed in anticipation. Closing her eyes, she said his name, pleading with him to touch her more. She felt his hands slide sensually up her hips and rest on her waist, gripping lightly as her thighs rested on his shoulders. "Lu, look at me."

She lifted her head, not prepared for the sight before her. Her blond hair, steel-blue eyed knight looked absolutely heavenly, his thick arms wrapped around her thighs and his hands holding her waist securely, clear hunger and need written all over his face. She honestly didn't think she could get any wetter than she already was. She shivered as he stared directly into her mocha eyes and licked his lips. "You taste so damn good."

She most certainly did, that's for sure. He couldn't remember the last time he had something so sweet, something so addicting. Needily, the grip on her waist tightened as he pulled her body closer to him and dove in, not leaving her time to even register what he was doing. He let out a deep groan as her body writhed in pleasure from _his _ministrations. She chanted his name in a half whimper, half whine while his tongue swirled around her clit, her legs closing around his back and pulling him into her as much as he could go.

One thing she knew for sure: he was a _God _in bed. He had her seeing things she'd never seen, experiencing euphoric pleasure like nothing she'd ever experienced. She'd latched onto the edge of the bed, her hold getting tighter as he worked his magic. He alternated between sucking gently and doing whatever wild thing with his tongue that had her seeing all the stars in the galaxy, and she was unaware that he had to hold her hips down to keep her from grinding into his face; _he _was in control.

Now that he'd gotten a taste, he knew fully that this was something he'd have to indulge in on a regular basis. From the taste of her to her cries of ecstasy, he needed it all. But now more than ever, he needed to be inside of her, to feel her warmth. First, he wanted her to cum… which was something he could achieve quickly. He wrapped an arm around a thigh and used a free hand to push two fingers inside of her. He nibbled lightly and smirked against her when she became more vocal, her fingers now clasped in his hair.

He probed and she practically screamed, his fingers slick from her juices. He didn't have to read her mind or ask to see if she was close; her body told him everything he needed to know, and he knew just what to do to bring her to orgasm. He moaned, his deep voice sending vibrations that rocked her core as he continued his tongue action. His fingers stirred and pushed until he found _that spot_, that spot that made her convulse and choke out his name as if it were the only thing she could say.

"L-Lax…" Her hands pressed gently onto his head, shoving him down more into her. "I'm s-so close…!"

He didn't even break for air; his only goal was to get her off so he could get inside. He thrust his fingers, grazing that spot relentlessly until her hands formed into fists in his hair, and her legs clenched tightly around him. "Laxus…!" His pride soared at the sound of her screaming his name, her petite body quaking as her walls fluttered around his fingers. Oh, what a sight. What a magnificent sight.

He unwrapped his arm from her leg and removed his digits from her still shaking body. Lingering above her, he took in her beauty; her flushed face, her pursed lips, the way her blonde hair fanned above her head, the way her breasts would rise and fall with each heavy breath she took, the way her lidded eyes stared up at him seductively. He leaned in, kissing her softly as his fingers danced up her body and into her mouth.

Again, he had her mind in overdrive as he gently pressed his body against hers, his dick hard and warm abut her thigh. His fingers pushed into her mouth and the low rumble of his voice ripped through her body as she sucked tenderly. _"Do you like the way you taste?"_ With a small nod, she moaned, the taste of herself new and exciting. Was she always this… salacious?

Lucy sure loved to play innocent, but there was nothing innocent about her. Laxus discovered more and more each time he had her, and it only made him want to learn more. He held her jaw and kissed his way to her ear, nipping at the lobe. _"You ready for me?"_ He didn't give her a chance to respond before he pushed his tongue back into her mouth, the residual taste of her spurring him to be one with her. Resting his weight on his forearm, he kept ahold of her face as he kissed her deeply. _"Mmm…"_

Her legs were draped around him loosely, her hands making contact with every inch of skin she could reach as he swallowed her moans. It felt as if he were seizing her very soul, commanding her to surrender herself to his every whim, claiming her as if he'd never claimed her before. He nudged against her opening, already overflowing with a wetness that caused him to slip into her hands-free, startling them both.

He broke the kiss, hissing in immense pleasure as he pushed in to the hilt. At the same time, she'd screamed his name with a gasp; he'd gone deeper than anticipated, her walls fitting snug around his tool deliciously. He pushed, those deep-seated thrusts he loved causing her toes to curl and her body to go pliant. _"Do you like that?" _His voice was low and rough, the hold on her jaw never faltering while his lips met hers lightly. _"I know you do…"_ With a grunt, he thrust, her name but a whisper in her ear.

She was so wet and so warm, he fit perfectly inside of her; it was as if she were put on Earth specifically for him. The way she hugged him closer to her body, the way she made him feel wanted, how could he not feel a little selfish? He'd given her just the tiniest fragment of his energy to ensure she'd be his until the end of time, but he couldn't tell her that. All he could do was fuck her intensively and love her in his own way. The hand on her jaw moved down to cup a breast while he nuzzled her neck. His thrusts turned into a slow grind as he rotated his hips, her nails digging into his back.

"_I love you… Laxus…!"_ She called out his name shamelessly, her thighs clenching around his hips while she matched his movements. His large hands left a blaze of heat wherever he touched as it trailed down to snake around her waist, pressing their bodies even closer together. The new angle allowed him to have more control and slide in a little deeper, just enough to elicit a new noise from her. It was something between a gasp and a whine and _oh,_ how he needed to hear it again. He tightened the arm around her and pulled her down onto his throbbing dick and was rewarded with that sweet music he craved to hear. _"Yes… sing for me, Lu…"_

Goosebumps graced her body as he began sucking on the sensitive part of her neck. If she knew any better, he was trying to get her to cum again… not that she had a problem with that. He truly was an amazing lover. One hand found its way into his short, blond hair while the other one scratched at his back, the pleasure becoming intense. _"Oh…! Lax…!" _His lips found her collarbone and began leaving his marks there… her shoulders… her breasts…

There was no way he'd last much longer, not with the way she wrapped around him, not with the way her body begged for him. His thrusts became long and deep, sweeping back and forth across that spot that would have her crying for more. _"Fuck… Lu… you feel amazing…"_ His hand found its way down to her ass, gripping a cheek and plunging into her unabatingly. He groaned against her smooth skin as she tightened around him, taking him effortlessly. _"…like you were made… to be mine…" _

He brought his head to rest on hers, his cloudy blue eyes, so full of passion and love, staring into her hazy brown ones. _"Say it again…"_ He was so blessed to be loved again and loved so deeply. He'd hold onto this one or die trying. He slowed to a lazy grind, teasing that spot until she gave him what he wanted.

She kissed his nose, then his cheek as a hand cupped his face. He was so handsome and so vulnerable; she was finding it hard _not_ to give him all of her love. _"I love you…" _Her lips pushed against his and she mewled, begging for him to give her more. A wish he soon granted, shoving into her as if there were no tomorrow. _"Lucy… I love you, Lucy…"_ He switched to the other side of her neck and sucked on unmarked skin, her nails in his back intensifying his pleasure. _"I… adore you, Lu…" _

He could tell she was close by the way her cries rose in pitch, the way her walls would tighten around his thick rod, the way her body would tremble… There were many other indicators but those were his favorites. _"Yes, Lu…" _Damn, she was sexy. How was he supposed to get anything done now that he had this temptation around him all the time? He pulled her on to him, _hard_, getting those sweet sounds from her again. _"Cum for me…" _

Almost immediately, her climax overtook her; her clenching core and his name at the top of her lungs sending him into his own. _"Ah… fuck…! Lu…" _The grip on her waist grew stronger as she shook against him, his throbbing staff pouring into her warmth with each pulse. She dragged her nails down his back as he sedated her with short jolts, his stiffness still filling her with his essence.

She rubbed his back and shoulders soothingly as he worked himself down from the high only she could give him. He kissed her lovingly as he withdrew himself from her and collapsed next to her, stretching his arm. He'd been keeping his weight on his forearm the whole time, so it was a little sore. He rolled onto his side, bringing her face to meet his.

"Did that get your mind off of things?" He asked, kissing her forehead then hugging her close. It didn't solve anything, but it most certainly helped him clear his head a bit.

Lucy glared up at her angel, suddenly annoyed. "Well, it did until you brought it back up!"

Laxus laughed, not meaning to bring it back up. "I'm sorry, I guess that didn't make too much sense."

"It's okay," she replied, kissing his chest. It truly was okay. She had zero worries when she was with him, and every time they were one, it felt as if they grew closer. He made her feel safe and complete. She rested her cheek against his chest, letting the steady beat of his heart relax her. "I love you, Lax."

He hugged her tighter, sighing deeply. "Tell me again."

Wow. How cute was he? She thought it was only during sex, but it turned out he _really_ liked hearing he that was loved. _'Who hurt you?'_ She'd love him and continue to love him until the end, and she'd make sure to tell him every day. "I love you _so_ much."

"Lu," he started, his chin resting on top of her head. "I love you more than anything. You caught my eye the moment I saw you, and I never thought I'd have you in my arms. I never thought I'd be able to love again, but you proved me wrong."

She supposed she saw him around the bunker from time to time, not very often, though. The times she did see him, he was always alone. He was quiet and kept to himself. It sort of embarrassed her to remember that he'd seen her gallivanting around with Loke. She pushed the thought away and focused on the _now_, the time that she spent with Laxus now was more important.

"I will always love you, Lax."

He knew. Boy, did he know. Did he feel guilty? Honestly, not really. He had a feeling she'd feel the same with or without his "help". He inhaled, taking in her scent, then exhaled, his lids becoming heavy. "We'll go see my friend later today. I know you want me to get some more sleep."

Lucy nodded, sleep taking over her, too. Didn't she just wake up? Why was she sleepy already? Did he _really_ put her to sleep? She giggled to herself as she snuggled into his protective hold, wondering what their future had in store for them.


	25. Chapter 25

**alright, alright. no reunion this chapter, but I PROMISE it will be next chapter! enjoy :)**

**(RAO HYUGA 18)**** I was wondering what was going on with the site. when I uploaded chapter 24, it kept saying I never uploaded it, which was pretty annoying. also, thank you! I'm glad you liked that chapter. got another full Lalu chap here with some Baccana sprinkled in because I adore that ship sooo much!**

**(MAY)**** Yessss it's getting real out here! all the dots are starting to connect together and shits about to happen. sorry if you were expecting the whole metalicana/gajeel reunion this chapter. even though that was supposed to happen like 5 chapters ago, I've pretty much just learned to not plan my chapters out ahead of time. *shrugs* it never works the way I want it to. for instance, the plot of this particular chapter was only supposed to be HALF of what it is lmao. **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

"Doll? You remember that goblin that came here not too long ago with that angel?"

After being cloudy for a few days, the night was finally clear, and the stars twinkled in the navy skies. Given everything that was happening around them, a certain pair decided that it was a good enough reason to drink, along with any other reason they could pull out of thin air. It was a slow night, anyway, and she hadn't seen many customers in a day or two… as if that would've stopped her from drinking in the first place.

She sat lazily on an old porch swing she'd built with Bacchus in the small gazebo behind their business, a jug of alcohol in hand. She took a large swig, her mind going over thoughts about that wretched talisman. She knew it wasn't anything to be proud of having, and she hated the fact that it somehow found its way into her home. _'I want nothing to do with that thing.'_ If she had her way, she'd have it destroyed, but unfortunately, it wasn't in her possession and she damn sure wasn't going to go out of her way to get it from that goblin. So, as long as it stayed away from her and her life, she wouldn't think about it.

Thankfully enough, Bacchus found her outside and distracted her from her thoughts, and even better, he brought more alcohol! She sat up, giving him space to sit next to her. Throwing her legs on his lap, she finished the last of what was in her jug and took his from his hand with a grin.

"Yeah? What about 'em?"

"Didn't he remind you of that one girl that came by a few months ago? They both had the same _wild_ fire in their soul."

Cana didn't really pay too much attention to other auras unless they caught her attention. That goblin didn't really catch her attention, but that pairing did. She thought it was odd, but they really complimented each other. Thinking about that got her to notice his aura, which was a surprisingly gentle one, given his profession. She took a drink. Now that she put some thought into it, there _was_ a client he reminded her of, but she couldn't remember who. _'Who was that again?'_

"Babe, you don't remember?" Bacchus laughed, squeezing her leg. "You must not be drunk enough! She lingered around for a bit trying to decide if she wanted a reading, and then when she finally did, there was nothing you could tell her! It was a _wild_ day, indeed!"

"Oh yeah~," she said, snapping her fingers. "What was her name, again?"

Faces and auras he was good with, but names? Bacchus always drew a blank. He took the jug from her and downed a shot, sighing loudly afterward. "I don't remember, but she had long blue hair."

"Do you think they're related?" Cana asked, reaching for the jug. She didn't know why he only brought one out in the first place.

"Most likely," he replied, keeping the alcohol out of her reach just to toy with her. "If they are, they'll be reunited eventually. Fate is a crazy thing."

"Speaking of fate, or fate related things," she said, catching him off guard by pulling the hair out of his bun with her foot. It was a rare sight, but she always preferred him with his hair down, anyway. She took advantage of the distraction and was able to snatch the bottle from his hand. "I have a bad feeling about the talisman. I feel like this isn't the last we'll hear about it."

"Don't worry, Doll. If anything happens, we'll just take our business somewhere else."

"I don't want to do that, though. I spent years getting this place to be well known. I don't want to uproot our lives just to start over. Also, this is one of the few places left that isn't run by those assholes."

Bacchus looked at the woman next to him and could easily tell this was something that bothered her. He hated seeing his woman stressed; all he wanted to do was make everything perfect for her.

"If you would just let me, I could find the thing and get rid of it," he offered. "I know just the place to dispose of it!"

"Nope! You seeking it out would only cause issues. I'd rather continue living our lives in peace." She sat up straight, swinging her legs off the edge of the bench and standing with a stretch. "I'm gonna go close up shop."

"I'll see you in bed, babe," he called out as she walked off, suddenly annoyed that she took the last bit of drink with her.

Cana did her nightly routine, her mind on autopilot while she closed all the windows and blinds, blew out the incense, and shut the lights off. "Another day, another dollar… or just another drink," she muttered to herself as she polished off the rest of the beverage she'd stolen from the drunkard she left outside. Just as she was about to lock the door, a loud knock sounded, startling her out of her stupor. _'A late-night customer, eh?'_

Occasionally, someone would stagger in late at night, either in a rut or drunk and desperate for a reading. She'd usually charge more based on the time of night and the vibe of the client, but mainly because Bacchus didn't like when she did business this late. If she were going to hear his mouth, she'd at least get compensated for it.

"Why didn't you just ring the buzzer?" Lucy asked, looking curiously at her surroundings.

"I wasn't aware it'd be this late when we got here," Laxus said, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't want to disturb anyone if they were sleeping."

Lucy put a hand on her hip, holding back a laugh. What kind of logic was that? "What sense does that make? Knocking could disturb someone, too!"

"I guess I figured the doorbell would be louder," he replied, wondering if he should have waited until morning to show up unannounced.

Even though Laxus just got a decent amount of rest, he ended up using the majority of his energy to get to wherever they were currently. Sheesh. Sometimes, he understood why the angels revolted. It was a hassle living like he was. He hated having to rest every so often to not even replenish his energy in its entirety. _'Ah, first world problems.'_ He had to remind himself from time to time that there were bigger fish to fry, other things to complain about. Sure, he'd done things he wasn't supposed to, hell, that's why he was a Fallen in the first place, but with everything going on around him, all the shit? He told himself that he wouldn't stoop to his fellow comrades' level any further. The woman next to him gave him all the confidence he needed to do what he could to better himself while also bettering Earth… even if she _were_ currently laughing at him.

"Tch, laugh all you want," he said, crossing his arms and changing the subject. "Maybe we should come back in the mor—"

Just as he was about to suggest returning at a different time, the door opened, and they were greeted by a brown-haired woman with a wide grin on her face. "Well, well, well~! If it isn't Mister Dreyar!"

Lucy was shocked to say the least; she didn't expect his reaper friend to be so pretty, and she sure broadcasted it! A quick scan of the wide-eyed woman's attire left none to the imagination, but she supposed if she was comfortable that way. _'To each their own.'_ While she was busy figuring out why this woman was walking around almost topless, said woman was giving her a quick once over.

"And who do we have here~?" The woman purred, eyeing the blonde intently. "She's a hot one, Laxus! You did good!"

"Cut it out, Cana," the angel said gruffly. He should have known she'd react like this. It'd been a while since they hung out, so it slipped his mind how… dramatic she could be.

"I'm serious!" Cana exclaimed, opening the screen door to let them in. "She must have been a gem to get _you_ to snatch her up. I never thought I'd see the day!"

A sudden shyness snuck up on a certain blonde, who was overwhelmed by Cana complimenting her and ushering them inside. How did she know they were together in the first place? She did have to admit, she relaxed a little when she showed her personality. She seemed like a really nice person, and she also seemed to be really good friends with Laxus, which meant she was trustworthy. She looked around, only the soft light from the small hallway in the back illuminating the area as Cana closed the door behind them.

"So, what's your name?" The woman crept up behind Lucy, throwing an arm around her shoulders and startling the poor girl.

"L-Lucy," the blonde replied, trying to keep her wits about her. What was with her? Why was she so friendly? It was crazy to her how Laxus could ever have made a friend like that; she had way too much energy.

"Welcome, Lucy, to my establishment!" Cana said cheerfully, making her way to the bar and pouring what Lucy assumed was liquor into the jug in her hand. "Any friend—or _lover~_ of Laxus is a friend of mine! Want a drink?"

"I'll take one," Laxus volunteered, sitting at the table closest to the bar. "It's been a while since I had some of your fancy liquor."

"And you?" Cana looked at Lucy expectantly, bummed when she shook her head. "You sure? Make the stuff myself."

"No, thanks," she replied, sitting in the seat next to Laxus. It made sense now as to why she was so exuberant; she was drunk! "I'm alright for now."

Laxus chuckled, leaning back in his chair, and resting his arm on the back of Lucy's. "She doesn't like the strong stuff."

"Well, that's a shame," Cana said pouring more into a second jug and walking around the counter to join them at the table. "More for us! Cheers!"

The two held up their jugs and clinked them together, both downing a copious amount of alcohol quickly after. How they were able to drink so much and not be absolutely plastered was beyond Lucy, but she supposed that was one of the perks of being a spiritual being.

"Sorry about it being so dark in here," Cana said, sighing in satisfaction. "I was closing up when you knocked."

"No, I should have let you know I was coming, first," Laxus said, scratching the back of his head.

"How were you gonna do that?" Cana quizzed, pointing a finger playfully. "Last I checked, you didn't have a phone, and if you did, you would've gotten my number and kept in contact!"

"I guess you're right," he admitted, defeated. As much as he missed his friend, he didn't really have the energy to play around; he had things to do.

"I'm just joshing~!" Cana laughed, taking another swig then directing her attention to Lucy. "Hey, tell your man to pull the stick out of his ass! I already know one guy like that, I don't need another!"

Lucy sat stunned, not able to come up with a response. It was refreshing to meet someone so fun; it was a huge contrast to dealing with a robotic Laxus. Before she could even get a word out, he let out a laugh louder than usual.

"You think I'm robotic?" He knew he wasn't supposed to read her thoughts, but he just couldn't resist. She'd been silent almost this whole time, and he was certain Cana left some sort of impression on her. But for her to think he was robotic? Well… she was kind of right. He couldn't help but find it amusing.

"_And_ she's funny? Big boy hit the jackpot with this one!" Cana pointed a thumb in Lucy's direction, unable to control her fit of laughter while the blonde's face turned tomato-red. "You're not wrong, there. This guy is all work and no play!"

"I know, I've been trying to get him to loosen up a little," she said timidly, finally warming up to the animated brunette.

"Seems to me like you loosened him up quite a bit, if you know what I mean," Cana wiggled her eyebrows knowingly, purposely making the girl blush even more.

"Alright, leave her alone," Laxus said, saving Lucy from the drunken nightmare that was Cana.

"Boo~ you're no fun!" Displaying a fake pout, the woman drank a bit more to drown her urge to poke fun at the two in front of her. "Well, you're clearly here on _business_, so what can I do ya for?"

"I'm looking for something," Laxus said, a seriousness now prominent in his tone. "And I think you know where it is."

"Oh boy," Cana sighed, wishing she had something stronger to drink. If her hunch were right, he was looking for the very thing she knew would come back to haunt her. _'That goblin never should have come here.'_ She had to at least be thankful that it was only Laxus that came looking for it so far, and she could only hope he was the last person to ask her about it.

She knew Laxus as a strong-minded individual, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. He was a good guy, and she knew he had good intentions, but he'd always push himself to the point of exhaustion in the hopes he could get it done faster; he was too stubborn to put himself first… or anyone, really. So, when she saw this pretty blonde he seemed to have taken a liking to, it gave her hope that maybe he wasn't as uptight as he used to be. That is until he switched to business mode with no hesitation.

"What makes you think I know where it is?" Cana asked, choosing her words carefully. Although he didn't seem to have any ill intent, she still wasn't too sure what his plan was and didn't want to give it up right away. She really liked that goblin and his angel, and she had a feeling they didn't even know exactly what that thing was. To send people after them wouldn't be fair at all.

"Come on, Cana," Laxus said, taking a shot. "You know everything. And you know just how dangerous that thing is."

"Just to be clear, we _are_ talking about the talisman, right?" She clarified, just to make sure they were on the same page. She'd been drinking heavily that night, so her thoughts were getting kind of jumbled.

"I ran into the goblin that had it once, but he got taken by the assholes before I could get to him," he explained, recalling that annoying encounter with Gray. "Then, dealing with one thing after another, I haven't been able to get close enough to get to him."

Lucy sat in silence as he took another shot, feeling bad that she was part of the reason he's falling behind. It wasn't her intention to be such a burden, but what could she do when he insisted she wasn't?

"Apparently, I have to watch my back, now, too," he continued with an exhale, running a hand through his hair. "If it isn't one thing, it's another. Then I remembered I had an old friend who knew things that I could go see."

"Watch your back?" Cana asked quizzically. "I find it more surprising that you've gotten yourself into some trouble! Don't you usually stay to yourself?"

"Yeah…" He hesitated, not even sure if he should open this can of worms. "But _Leo_ came back around, and he's being annoying."

"Ha~ he always was a feisty one, that guy," she said with a roll of her eyes. "What happened with him?"

"Lucy says there's someone after me, and that information came from him directly."

"So, our new friend Lucy is familiar with ol' 'Leo the Lion', huh? How'd that come to be?" Cana asked, very interested in how these dots connected together. She did find it rather strange that a human was linked to a Fallen, but stranger things have happened. She must know some things or have certain connections.

"'Leo the… Lion'?" Lucy finally spoke up, slightly confused as to who they were referring to. She could put two and two together and figure they were talking about Loke, but why they were calling him 'Leo' was a mystery to her.

"That's a story for another time," Laxus said before Cana could probe her any further. He wasn't too sure why that jagoff was going by 'Loke' in the first place, nor did he really care. He just wanted him to stay away from the two of them.

"We have more important things to discuss than that douchebag," he said, drinking a bit more. He really missed her liquor; it was the strongest stuff he had in a while, but he needed to cut himself off soon, or he'd become too inebriated. He wasn't too sure Lucy would appreciate that, either.

"What are you going to do when you find it?" The brunette asked, fiddling with a stack of cards that were on the edge of the table. She highly doubted he was looking to cause harm, but it never hurt to double-check.

Laxus looked at the blonde next to him and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I'm gonna find a way to wipe it off the face of the Earth."

"I hope that doesn't mean going in with brute force and hurting the being carrying it," Cana said, shuffling her cards and spreading them out neatly in a row face down on the table.

"Nah, that goblin is innocent. But I don't think he'll be willing to give it up so easily." He twirled a stray lock of Lucy's hair between his fingers while getting lost in his thoughts. The alcohol was definitely hitting him, and it only made his worries surface. What if the goblin was hostile? What if she was put in danger again? Would the talisman be easy to destroy?

"Lax," Lucy leaned into his arm, which was still somewhat draped around her shoulder. Even though he'd act tough, she needed to be the strong one sometimes and she was completely okay with that.

"Don't tell me you're worrying about things, again," she said, putting a comforting hand on his leg. "I'm sure everything will work out."

Laxus rested his cheek on top of her head while alternating between playing with her hair and petting the side of her head, making her blush a little. Again, he always managed to show her new sides of him, all of which she loved dearly. This tipsy part of him, though, had to be one of her favorites so far.

Shocked was an understatement; Cana was convinced that hell had finally frozen over. Was Laxus actually showing public displays of affection? This had to have been the alcohol, she was sure of it, but _damn!_ She grinned at the display, wanting nothing but to make jokes, but she knew this was a once in a lifetime chance to see this version of him.

"I'll be sure to give you some of this stuff for the road since it seems like you're enjoying it~!" She held up her jug and swished around what little was left. She just couldn't help herself.

"Also," she continued, setting the jug down on the table then skillfully flipping the row of cards over. "Don't make assumptions just yet. Who knows? Maybe the goblin wants to get rid of it just as bad as you do."

Laxus lifted his head and scoffed, his arm falling to hang lazily over Lucy's chest. "If that were the case, he'd have done it by now."

"What if he doesn't even know what it is?"

"Then I'd find that really hard to believe," he retorted, just barely stopping himself from taking another shot. "He's a goblin. He or any person that's not human should know what it is, and if he doesn't, he's a colossal idiot. You can literally feel the evil energy radiating from that thing."

Cana tipped back the last of her drink, finally deciding to make that her last for the night. Would it be right to tell him where it was? She got a good read on the girl and figured she'd keep him from doing anything too rash, but…

"Keep an open mind," she said, scanning the row of cards. "There's a strong possibility he could be numb to its energy after having it for so long."

"Well, I'm just gonna talk to him, anyway, so he has nothing to worry about," Laxus said before giving in to his urge to drink. He threw back the harsh liquid and slammed the jug down on the table with a sigh. Why did he feel so uneasy about this whole thing?

"Alright."

Cana took her index finger and slid a card out of the row, placing it in front of the angel before her. With careful consideration, she decided to at least direct them to the general vicinity of the talisman. Was she letting her own desire to get rid of the damned thing play a factor in her decision? Maybe. But maybe not.

"You're familiar with this area, right?" She asked, pointing at the card.

Laxus perked up almost immediately, unhooking his arm from around Lucy and just barely snatching the card off the table. _'Mountains?'_ Of course, he's been around for a while, so he's seen many landscapes, but there was something familiar about these.

Cana watched the gears turn in his head, satisfied when she saw it finally click. "Go there, and you'll find it."

Even though he didn't show it, he was ecstatic. He'd made so much progress in the short time he'd been there! He was so close to his goal; he could almost feel the satisfaction from the victory he just _knew_ he'd get. "I knew I could count on you."

"Wow~ affectionate _and_ appreciative! This must be my strongest batch, yet!" Cana gushed, about to make fun of him a bit more before she was interrupted by a voice coming from the back.

"Doll?"

Rolling her eyes, she gathered her cards up into a neat stack. "I should finish closing up. Bacchus hates it when I work late. Just promise me you won't do anything dumb, okay?"

"Come on, Cana," Laxus said, handing her the card and wrapping an arm around a silent Lucy's shoulder. "You know me better than that. I won't do anything you wouldn't do."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe. But I have good faith that Lucy here will keep you out of trouble, right?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde.

'_Was she talking to me?'_ Lucy was lost in her own thoughts, the memory of the talisman bringing forth other memories she wanted to suppress… memories of a friendship she'd never get back.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she replied sheepishly. "But I guess that didn't sound too convincing, huh?"

"No worries, blondie," the reaper said as she stood and made her way back to the bar. "Let me get you some drink for the road!"

Lucy stood first, turning to the angel next to her and offering a hand. Whether he knew it or not, he was very drunk, and it was written all over his face. She knew it would hit him all at once when he stood up, so she just wanted to be ready for him in advance.

"Come on, big guy," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him up from the chair.

Laxus didn't understand why Lucy was treating him like he was completely shitfaced. Surely, he wasn't _that_ drunk… Until he went to stand up and almost tumbled forward. Well shit. This was the last thing he wanted! He failed to take into consideration that he was visiting a notorious drunk! He should have known she'd easily influence him to drink! Why wouldn't she have the best and the strongest stuff? Usually, when he drank, it was comfortably in a place they were sleeping for the night, usually for the sole purpose of Lucy not having to lug him around everywhere. _'Fuck.'_ He facepalmed internally. She was probably super annoyed with him now. He draped his arm around her again, this time putting a bit of weight on her.

"I'm sorry, Lu," he mumbled into her hair, inhaling deeply. "I'll try to pull myself together."

"It's okay, Lax. Just relax," she said softly, wrapping an arm around his torso snugly. She was at least glad he got to catch up with a friend and vent a little. "Let's get you to a place where you can lay down."

Cana felt nothing but a surge of pride from her creation. Maybe she should sell this stuff to the beings in the spirit world. She was sure they'd love a liquor like this. If it were strong enough to knock someone as tough as Laxus on his ass with a few drinks, she could only imagine how the lesser beings would handle it. She took a mental image of these two as she filled up his to-go jug. "Now, don't disappear for years again, 'kay? Don't be a stranger!"

"Cana! I owe you one," Laxus said, throwing his other arm around Lucy, now squashing her into his chest.

"Well, wait!" The reaper said, handing him the jug. "Wouldn't wanna forget this~!"

"Can you get us somewhere?" Lucy asked the suddenly clingy blond. "Or are you too out of it?"

"Pshh! I'm not that drunk, Lu!" His arms moved from her shoulders down to her waist in a manner that got her attention.

"Laxus!" She said in a hushed tone, swatting at him nervously. "W-What are you doing? We're not alone!"

'_Oh? What's this?'_ Cana had never been more interested in anything in her entire life. They could start going at it like rabbits right there, and she wouldn't mind in the slightest!

"So what?" He said, smiling sultrily at her blushing face. Before she could say anything, he leaned into her space and kissed her in the most inappropriate manner be could.

Just as things were getting heated, the pair vanished, leaving Cana alone and disappointed. _'Boo~ how disappointing.'_ She couldn't be too upset, though; she got to see a more human side of her dear friend for the first time, which only meant that girl was nothing but positive energy for him. She smiled, turning off the remaining lights and making her way to the room that had _her_ own positive energy waiting for her.

"Babe…" Bacchus said, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

"Sorry, babe, there was an old friend who needed some help," Cana said, ignoring the fact that he was clearly meditating and straddling his lap. "You remember Laxus Dreyar, right?"

"Yeah, he was one of the first _wild _souls you reaped, wasn't he?" He asked, not even bothering to open his eyes. He knew that would spurn the reaction he wanted out of her.

"Yeah…" She poked at his face, not liking the fact that he wouldn't look at her. Also, she noticed that he put his hair back up, which only added insult to injury. "My hunch was right, though. He came asking about the talisman."

"And how did you help our lost soul?" He questioned as she continued poking at his face. Knowing Cana, she probably told him exactly where to find it in the hopes that he'd destroy it.

"I told him where it was… Babe!" Cana squeezed his face with both hands, pushing his cheeks out. "He's gonna get rid of it! Isn't that awesome?"

A pair of red eyes opened and met a pair of brown. _'I knew it.' _She was so predictable. He shook his head. What was he going to do with her? "So, you let _your_ soul make the decision? I thought we talked about that…"

"No!" She scoffed, not wanting to admit that it may have played a very minuscule part in her decision.

"Then you sent a troubled soul after good beings?" Bacchus could see right through her shenanigans. Of course, she let her own wants play a role in that reading… if it even could have been considered a reading since she already knew where it was.

"No, no! I made sure he wasn't looking to cause any harm first!"

"Sure," he said simply, closing his eyes again. "I hope this doesn't come back to bite us in the butt, babe."

"Ah, what do _you_ know?" She said, standing and stripping off the little bit of clothing she had on. She wasn't going to let this guy get into her head like this. She knew Laxus, and she had a really good feeling about Lucy; she felt confident about her decision. She sprawled out on the bed, laying on her back. "Now, are you gonna come to bed, or what?"

"Not arguing with that," he said with a shrug, mimicking her actions and crawling into bed. He hovered over her with a devious smirk on his face.

"Nuh-uh," she said with a foot to his chest. "Hair down."

"Anything for you, Doll."


	26. Chapter 26

**so, as a token of my appreciation to all my readers, I made this chapter super long. I don't really wanna say I'm bummed out about it, but I'm not sure it turned out the way I really wanted to. that being said, I hope this is satisfying enough for you guys. enjoy :)**

**(ALICIACEVBRA)hey, everyone needs to loosen up every now and then! also, he went to go see cana, someone who's notorious for drinking constantly. it's only normal that she'd easily influence people around her to drink lol. also, I kinda wanted to experiment with a more open Laxus, and that would only happen if he was drunk :p**

**(RAO HYUGA 18)**** I really don't know why but I looovveeee Baccana! they're probably one of my favorite anime ships ever! so yes, that chapter was really fun to write! I'm glad you liked it!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

His long, unruly dark hair swung with his movements as he paced back and forth in his lair, anticipation of the arrival of his son far greater than he expected. Why was he so nervous? To think that he, a brick wall of a man, could display such tedious emotions was by far the weakest thing he could do in his opinion. It was just his son, for fuck's sake! Why did he have this… feeling that this meeting wasn't going to go as planned? All he needed to do was get on his good side— _'which shouldn't be hard,'_ and convince him to give the talisman back to him. Easy stuff.

To Metalicana, there was nothing more grating than things not going the way he wanted, and it took him years to finally understand that he'd have to approach some situations differently to achieve his goals. Unfortunately, he knew this would be one of those times. He had to bite his tongue and play nice when he conversed with the fallen angels, and he knew he'd have to play even nicer with his son.

The thought of his son joining forces with him continuously crossed his mind. Maybe he'd be easy to sway, he thought. The women of the family didn't think too fondly of him, but his son… his only son. He saw the light in his father, the light which lessened every day, and that was the only reason Metalicana stuck around as long as he did. He wanted his son to live on, or to be reborn into exactly what he was, which is why he killed the pain he had in his soul from his actions almost two years ago.

Eventually, he conquered his damned nerves and trudged back to his throne with a heavy sigh. What happened to that light? Why did his son look up to him so much? He wasn't worthy enough to be the source of his affections, or anyone's affections, really. He knew fully that he was a terrible being, yet he never once felt the need or urge to change. _'As a matter uh fact, it's quite the opposite.'_

He grit his teeth, his hands clenching into fists. He so desperately wanted out of the shithole he was currently in. It was time to expand his area of control, but due to certain circumstances, he was stuck in the Underworld. _'If only I hadn' relied on those fuckin' idiots ta get the job done…'_ His thoughts trailed off when he heard a rumble coming from the end of the tunnel, a familiar, yet very unfamiliar presence in the distance.

It was his son, no doubt about it, but what he couldn't pinpoint was the additional energy he was feeling. His fingers drummed the arm of his throne, did he bring someone along? Of course, if he knew the place he was going to, he'd be smart to bring reinforcements. But did he really know? Or was it just a coincidence? This definitely put a damper on his mood, but he was nowhere near expecting this to go exactly as he planned, because when did that ever happen?

It felt like an eternity passed before his son emerged from the shadows of the dark tunnel. He raised a hand, a bright reddish-orange light coming from the ground along the edges of the chamber. A quick glance and a furrowed brow led him to a sour mood and a bad taste in his mouth. _'An angel? What the fuck is 'n angel doin'n the Underworld?' _And why did his goblin son have an _angel_ on his arm? Though, there was something about her he couldn't quite put his finger on, and the slight flash of pain on her face only confirmed his suspicions. _'Hmm. Now I see._' Metalicana quickly fixed the scowl on his face; he had to put all of his efforts into playing nice, _especially_ since there was this angel bitch he just knew could see through his ploys.

He stood from his throne, his heavy footsteps making their way toward the goblin and that wretched angel. The closer they got, the prouder he became. His son really was the spitting image of himself, and it only gave him hope that he was like him in more ways than one.

"Junior," he said, extending his arms. "My son."

Gajeel was ready for whatever would happen during this meeting. He was ready for answers, he was ready for closure. He was ready to accept the worst possible outcome, just as long as he had Levy by his side. Just before they reached the end of the tunnel, she'd stopped him and told him again that she'd be there for him, no matter the outcome. She told him she'd keep him from going down the wrong path if something were to try and sway him. She took his hand and stroked his cheek so tenderly, it pained him to bear the fact that he was unworthy to be the source of her affections, or anyone's affections, really. But she saw the light in him that made him want to be a better being, even if only for her… and if she decided to stay after knowing the truth, he'd dedicate the rest of his existence to her. He took her hand and kissed it, returning the longing passion, and thanking her for being his own manifestation of hope.

He cleared his throat and stood up straight, jamming his hands in his pockets. "Well, let's get this over with."

Levy hooked an arm around his as they continued their ominous stroll through the dark, sienna-colored cave until they approached a massive opening. There was something in this space with them, and it wasn't anything good. Light suddenly came from the ground and Levy tensed up immediately, the marks on her extremities starting to burn. _'Th-This energy… what is this?'_ Her eyes met with the thing that was now walking in their direction, the resemblance uncanny! No way was this guy going to tell Gajeel anything decent!

A bit of relief washed over her; she was glad she was with him! She'd be able to see through whatever bullshit this guy wanted to feed Gajeel and put a stop to it immediately. The burning sensation in her wrists and ankles began to subside, and she was also glad she decided to cover them. Given the fact that they reacted to whatever power was used to bring light into the cave, he'd probably know instantly who she was if he saw them.

"Junior, my son." The man plastered a fake smile on his face and extended his arms while Gajeel wore a poker face up until that moment. She saw the tears well up in his eyes as he unhooked their arms and went to embrace his father.

"Dad," Gajeel said, overwhelmed as he hugged his father for the first time in almost twenty years.

"Gajeel," the man said, holding his son by the shoulders and looking him up and down. The pain he killed was starting to come back to life when the realization that he missed his son growing up punched him in the gut. Could he make amends with his son? Would his son even want to make amends with him? "Did ya really grow ta be _that_ tall?"

Gajeel chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "N-No, I just… made myself a little taller."

Metalicana watched as his son shrunk at least a foot in height, clutching his stomach and laughing loudly. Why would anyone want to be taller than they are now? "Gihihi! Yer jus' as tall as me! Why din'tcha jus' stay the same?"

"Ah…" Nineteen years ago, Gajeel would have just answered his question, but now? He was a little embarrassed. "W-When I was a kid, I remember wantin' ta be tall…like my dad."

_There's_ the kid he missed all those years. It was a shame those humane feelings wouldn't last very long… he almost missed them. "Gihihi! Well! Yer definitely my son! Ya look jus' like me! Ya got the looks 'n height…"

The man bent down, eye level with the angel. He saw the concern she had for his son in her eyes. He wanted to test a theory. He gave a menacing grin, fangs large enough to crush metal on display. "Wonder what else ya got from me, hm? Can little miss _angel_ here tell us?"

A furious blush broke out on Levy's face, knowing immediately what this perv was thinking. What was he trying to prove? Was he trying to find out if they've been together intimately? If they had that kind of relationship? Why? In the brief moment that she tried to read his thoughts, she was instantly kicked from his mind and given a headache almost bordering a migraine. _'What the hell?!'_

Before her shock could draw Gajeel's attention, Metalicana laughed again, the aggravated look on his son's face priceless. "I'm only kiddin'! What fun would it be if I din't mess aroun' with my son?"

"Dad," Gajeel said, his voice quiet. He was so unsure of what to say, where to even start. They were both clearly avoiding the topic. Who was supposed to bring it up first? His head hung low, his hands turning into fists at his side. "Why're ya down here?"

Metalicana should have known that would be the first thing he asked. It was an answer he wasn't ready for, yet. He placed a studded hand on his son's shoulder, two pairs of red eyes meeting. "Gajeel… Junior… How I've missed m'boy. I'm sorry, son."

"W-Why did ya leave us, Dad? Anna! Juvia! Even Mom missed ya!" Gajeel broke down, clutching his dad's wrist. This was the last thing he wanted to do, but he couldn't stop the tears, he couldn't stop the emotions from pouring out of him. He'd waited so long for this; how could he not spill everything? "They said so many shitty things about ya! They even went as far as sayin' ya had another family somewhere else!"

Metalicana scoffed. He barely liked the members of his current family. Why the fuck would he run off and make another? Just another annoying woman that would only use him to get kids from him to deal with. But what could he say? That he became a demon long before he disappeared? That he couldn't bear to live a 'simple life' among humans anymore, so he left to wreak havoc in the Underworld? Surely _that_ wouldn't get him on his side.

"I lived on, hatin' Mom and Juvia fer talkin' so much shit…" Gajeel continued, his voice shaky. He tried to read the emotion on his dad's face but found himself unable to do so. Was this how Levy felt when she looked at him?

"Anna was the only one aside from me who believed ya didn't leave on purpose… we believed you'd come back… but it looks like ya died… and I'm so sorry if that's what truly happened an' we blamed ya fer leavin'," Gajeel let the tears continue falling, not even caring that he was a mess in front of the two most important people in the universe to him.

Metalicana bit his tongue, not wanting to lie to his dear son, but he needed to if he was going to get anything from him. "Son, I din't leave ya on purpose…"

Levy stood closely behind Gajeel, on standby if he needed her for support. At the same time, she was trying so hard to get inside this guy's head, failing each time. She could swear he smirked internally at her every time she tried, which only riled her up. This particular being was nothing to sneeze at, but neither was she. Because of that, both she _and _Metalicana seemed to be walking on eggshells around each other, neither of them sure of the amount of power the other had. _'Gajeel…'_

"We were scared, Mom, mostly," the goblin said, his thoughts still coming out. "She an' Juvia hated me 'cuz I looked an' acted so much like ya, an' that only made me hate 'em more! Anna basically raised me, always bailin' me out when I got in trouble… I got in so… much… trouble…"

Metalicana could do nothing but listen to broken sobs as his son still clutched the hand that was on his shoulder. Did he feel anything in this situation? Yes and no. He felt the pain from his son, but he knew the pain would be worthwhile in the end as long as he endured. Pain was only temporary, and he'd remember that forever.

"I was locked up all the time fer petty shit… theft… assault… disorderly conduct… all of it was a cry fer help, a cry fer attention, an' no one was there ta give me what I needed. Mom didn't give a fuck, an' there was only so much Anna could do; she was just a kid, too," Gajeel raised his head, again meeting his dad's unfazed gaze. He turned his head, glancing at the angel behind him.

Levy nodded, giving him the courage to continue. He needed to let it all out, no matter how weak or vulnerable it may make him feel. None of that mattered in the end, and she needed him to know that. Her heart broke again for her goblin. He was deprived of so much love, so much care, that he ended up rebelling against everyone, even his family. She wanted to give him all of that love. She placed a hand on his back, urging him to let go.

"I was the black sheep of the family, but I didn't care at all. I had Anna, an' I had the hope that we would see ya again… then I turned eighteen. Mom started treatin' me like actual shit," Gajeel explained, a disgusted look on his face. "Like shit she'd just stepped in and smeared everywhere. I couldn't move out 'cuz I felt like I had an obligation ta those fuckers. I felt like I needed ta prove that I wasn't a so-called 'terrible person' like they claimed Dad was."

Metalicana finally took his hand from Gajeel's shoulder and turned his back to them with a sigh. Judging by everything he just heard, it didn't sound like the apple fell too far from the tree. He stroked his chin, his prickly, five 'o'clock shadow rough against his hand as he tried to hold back a grin. All he had to do was convince his son he was actually a decent being and he'd have this in the bag!

"Son…" Metalicana said as he turned back around and faced the pair, immediately getting agitated. That fucking angel was annoying, constantly trying to read his thoughts. When was she going to learn? You can't outdo greatness. "Sorry ya had ta go through that shit."

"I never had a peaceful life, even after my death… those bastards…" Gajeel clenched his fist again, reliving that awful memory.

Now, that was something that got Metalicana's attention. Who did he blame for his death? He eyed the two before him, watching as the angel took his hand in hers. _'Hmm.'_ She seemed to have a calming effect on his son, which only meant she was someone who'd be sticking around for the foreseeable future. How very tedious.

"Those pieces of shit! Those fallen fuckin' angel bastards! All I did was go fer a fuckin' walk! I come back home an'… an'…" Gajeel's hand flew to his face, aggressively wiping away unwanted tears. "Everyone's dead… Anna… Mom… Juvia… Lily… then they didn't even hesitate ta take my head!"

'_Ah, so that's who he blamed.'_ Metalicana could only feel hope for his broken son. He knew he could be something great, despite all the shit he dealt with growing up, and he wanted to be the one to help him realize his potential, but with this blue-haired whore around him, it'd be difficult to get to him. It would be unfortunate, but this demon was going to achieve his goal with or without his son.

"I just wanna know…" Gajeel said, pulling himself back together. "Why are ya down here? Why are ya in this place?"

This was it. This was the moment that would make or break the new and budding relationship he was building with his son. He crossed his arms over his chest, wondering if he should just be honest. "Junior… I reached out t'ya 'cuz I need yer help."

Levy's eyes widened; he needed help? Yeah right. She could easily see the manipulation without reading this asshole's mind. But one look at Gajeel, and she knew he was soon to be putty in his father's hands. She needed to figure out a way to keep him from falling for his tricks, but how? She couldn't just blatantly declare not to listen to him! That'd do nothing but cause major issues, and the last thing she wanted to do was kill his dad. _'That's most likely what it'd come to if a fight occurred.'_

She tried one final time to breach his thoughts and was satisfied when it finally worked. _'It's about time!'_ Before she could conjure up another thought, time stopped around her, the color draining from the Earth as if she were in another dimension. Confused was an understatement. She looked around the now grayscale room, everything in it, including Gajeel and his dad, frozen and free of any color.

"_What the hell…"_ _she muttered under her breath, trying to think of a spell to undo whatever just happened._

"_Little bitches like ya jus' don' know yer place, do ya?" The demon stood behind her with an evil grin on his face, leaning down to speak into her ear. "Yer in here_ _now. Did ya find what'cher lookin' fer?"_

_The hairs on the back of her neck stood and her hand immediately went to hover over one of her shoulder holsters. She looked straight ahead; the man was frozen in place as well. How was he behind her? She looked down at her hands. She was but a faded image of herself, a shadow of her frozen body. "What is this? What did you do to Gajeel?"_

_A faded view of Metalicana stepped into her view, his hands behind his back. "Ya tried so hard ta get inside my brain, an' I finally let'cha in. Why so confused? Never had someone stop yer little mind readin' before?"_

_Levy pulled a blade out of her holster, ready to attack if need be. "You know exactly what I am, don't you?"_

"_Gihihi! That means ya know what I am," he said, his grin turning demonic. The angel swung her blade, slicing his shirt open and grazing skin. "Then ya should also know, that puny blade won't hurt me."_

_Levy's eyes grew wide as he slapped the blade out of her hand, the sound of it hitting the ground swallowed by stopped time. She threw a punch, only for her fist to be stopped by his hand. He squeezed hard, though not hard enough to cause visible injuries. She winced, but her stance never faltered. "What's the matter? Don't want your son to see what you're doing to me?"_

_Metalicana threw her arm to the side and scoffed, turning and walking away. "Luckily fer ya, little brat, I've no intentions of killin' ya today. I'm jus' here ta politely tell ya ta not get in my way. I'm tryin'a retrieve somethin' from my son, an' yer not gonna stop me."_

"_Retrieve something?"_

"_Oh? Ya don' know?" Metalicana smirked, this bitch was more naïve than he thought. He felt the strange energy radiating from her when she walked in; it was foolish of her to try to hide them. He knew right away that this was the 'spirit girl', or as the demons would call her, 'the girl without a soul'. But there was something off about her, like she didn't have certain memories. "Could it be possible that'cha don' remember?"_

"_Remember what?" Levy was starting to get frustrated. Why was he acting like he knew something she didn't? it already drove her mad that she was fuzzy on some things, and this only confirmed that she was in fact missing something._

"_Gihihi, yer gonna find out soon enough," the demon said just before appearing in her face with a hand wrapped around her neck. "Stop tryin'a read… my… thoughts..."_

_Before he could finish his command, she'd sunk another blade into his stomach. It was only an angel killing blade, so she didn't expect it to do any harm, but he needed to know she wasn't one he could kill so easily. "S-Stop tr-trying to corrupt G-Gajeel…"_

_Metalicana's vicious grin only spread wider as he slowly pulled the blade from his midsection, the grip on her neck getting stronger. "Stupid fuckin' bitch. He's already corrupted."_

_He let the blade fall from his hand and onto the ground, the sound again, nonexistent. She was quite interesting really, and it was such a shame she was on his list of first to die once he ruled. But for the sake of his son, the one and only decent thing he could ever do for him, he decided to spare her for now. _

"_Reconsider yer actions," he said simply, his grip getting tighter one final time before letting her go. She fell to her knees, coughing and catching her breath as she scrambled to pick up one of her blades and put it back in her holster. _

"_Ya better destroy the evidence," he said, kicking the other dropped blade over to her so she could put it away. _

_She finally stood and composed herself, panting heavily. He was a lot tougher than she thought, and it was going to take some actual brainpower to get the upper hand on him. For now, the only thing she could do was swallow her pride and hope Gajeel didn't give him whatever it was he wanted. She stood behind her goblin and wrapped her arms around his timeless statue of a body. She wouldn't allow this monster to take him from her, not if she had anything to do with it._

"_Gihihi! G'luck…" Metalicana laughed menacingly. "Angel bitch."_

Just as quickly as it stopped, time came back to Earth and color flooded the space, the two enemies' shadow-like figures slipping back into their own bodies. She glanced at the demon; he was almost visibly exhausted, now. _'I see. It takes up almost all of his energy to stop time. He probably only uses it under dire circumstances.' _Even if it was only for a short amount of time, it was still an amazing ability to have, still, troublesome to say the least. What did Gajeel have that he wanted back so desperately? Before she could finish her train of thought, a voice brought her back to the present.

"My help? With what?"

"Ya see," Metlicana started, giving the angel a side-eyed smirk just out of Gajeel's vision. His intent to drive her away from him now a crucial part of his goal. "I'm stuck down here, an' I can't get outta here without the talisman."

The life drained from Gajeel's face as he immediately turned around to look at Levy. He hoped, _prayed_ that she didn't remember, but he saw those gears turning in that head of hers… His head whipped back around, and he saw a sadistic smirk on his dad's face, _'d-does he know somethin'?'_ And here he thought he'd be able to avoid the topic. He had no clue it'd be the very thing he requested!

Metalicana couldn't be more pleased with the reaction he just got out of his son. That only meant everything he suspected was correct; she _was_ the one who'd stolen the talisman from Gajeel, and he was the one who killed her and got it back. The most amusing thing was the fact that she didn't seem to remember! Well, luckily for her, he'd gladly help her remember.

"I dunno if ya remember, but I gave it t'ya 'fore I disappeared," the demon said, stroking his chin. "I hope ya been takin' good care of it."

Levy pinched the bridge of her nose as memories of the talisman started to return to her. She remembered it keeping the spirits at bay, and she remembered she only had it for a brief period of time before she died, but how did she get it? How did she die?

Gajeel's hands clenched into tight fists again as his head dropped. It was only a matter of time before she found out, anyway. Why was he so scared? Wasn't he expecting this? He grit his teeth, the talisman feeling as if it were burning a hole in his pocket. "I… don't have it."

Metalicana smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. How dumb did he think he was? There was no more pretending; the girl was already starting to remember. "Why're ya pretendin' like ya don' have it on ya right now?"

Levy's head spun, why was she starting to feel like she'd… met Gajeel before? Once? _'No,'_ twice…? Right? What were the circumstances? Was that why she felt like she was drawn to him, because they'd already met? Or… was it because he had the talisman? Wait. Why did he have it? _'Huh?!'_

"Tch," Gajeel turned his head, wanting to just crawl into a hole and just die there. Not only was Levy figuring things out, he was also getting a really bad vibe from his dad. What was the right thing to do in this scenario? Obviously, he wasn't going to give him the talisman… at least not without some valid explanation. "But… why? How'd ya get stuck down here in the first place?"

Metalicana decided he didn't want his son to know the truth, but he didn't think far enough ahead to come up with a decent lie. If any time were to be a good time to speak, though, it'd be then, while the angel was dealing with her own issues.

"It was the demons, right?" Gajeel asked, hoping he guessed it right. The last thing he wanted was for his dad to be down there by choice.

Well, he wasn't entirely wrong. "Yeah… the demons. They made it so I can't escape this wicked place. I was finally able ta reach out t'ya so I could ask my son ta help me, fer forgiveness…"

Gajeel turned around to look at Levy, almost dying from the look on her face. She… was crying… and she wouldn't make eye contact with him. _'I supposed I deserve this treatment.'_ He directed his attention at his dad again, not even knowing what to say. "I…"

The demon wanted so badly to laugh at the events unfolding between those two. The little bitch finally remembered, and it was only a matter of time before she left him. Then, his son would realize that he was all he had, _'leavin' him no choice but ta come crawlin' ta me.'_ He grinned, wondering how he could stoke the fire just a bit more. "The thing din't give y'any issues, did it, son?"

There was nothing Gajeel could say, nothing he wanted to say. If it weren't for meeting his dad for the first time in so long, he'd have grabbed Levy and left the cave a while ago… not that she would have let him take her anywhere, anyway. There was no way she'd stick around. He was so afraid to look at her, to see her face. The trust she had for him was most likely broken, never to be regained. He truly felt like he had nothing.

Levy remembered. She remembered the unfortunate event of her stealing the talisman from him in the street thinking she'd never run into him again, she remembered having it for only a year before they started coming after her, she remembered when he showed up… the weird way he made her feel before he snatched the talisman from her neck, then killed her.

She touched her cheek; tears were falling from her hazel eyes, but why? He looked at her, but she couldn't meet his gaze. Why did he deliberately keep this from her? This must have been what that asshole was talking about when he froze time! _'But I still never found out what that thing was!'_ Did Gajeel know what it was? _'Probably… what else does he know?'_ So many thoughts and emotions bounced around in her head, it was hard to keep up with it all. What, with remembering vivid details of her death and the talisman, and this demon stirring the pot and spewing lies, it was no wonder why Gajeel was so stressed about this.

"Anyhow," Metalicana continued, ignoring the plethora of emotions in front of him. "I need ta return it ta its rightful owner, 'n by doin' that, I'll be able ta walk free."

He took a step forward and hooked an arm around Gajeel. He needed to work his charm just a bit more. "I wasn' able ta be wit'cha when ya grew up, an' I regret that. I jus' wanna make it up ta my son. Will ya let me do that?"

'_Levy…'_ All he could think about was the beautiful, crying angel behind him and how much he'd hurt her. He didn't even deserve to look at her. She'd be much better off without someone like him, anyway. At least on the bright side, it seemed like his dad wanted to make amends, which is really the only thing he ever wanted in his life. "D-Dad…"

"Think about it, son," Metalicana wanted to paint a picture, a picture that would get his attention. A picture that would make him not even think twice. "Me n' ya jus' bondin', gettin' that 'father-son' time we missed out on. I can get'cha anythin' ya ever want or need. Ya gotta problem with those snot-nosed fallen angels? Yer dad here'll help ya take 'em all out."

It sounded tempting, being able to reconnect with his dad, but something wasn't quite right. At the same time, his dad just told him it wasn't his fault for leaving, which meant that his family was wrong to place that blame on him. _'But…_' Right now, the need to talk to Levy was great… to explain why he didn't tell her… but she wouldn't even look at him. Would it be better if he just gave the stupid thing to him? After all, he wanted nothing more to do with the damned thing. Would it be the right thing to do? Or should he just figure out how to destroy it?

Levy was a bit stubborn when it came to things like this. She had so many thoughts to sort through, so many lost emotions. She didn't want to talk to Gajeel right now, but she _really_ didn't want him to give the talisman to his father. He was getting swayed by the evil in front of him, she could see it. He was too blinded by the fact that it was his father. She didn't know the exact reason for him wanting it, but it definitely wasn't that piss-poor example of a lie he told.

Gajeel shrugged his father's arm off hesitantly and stepped to the side, putting at least a foot of space between them. _'What would Levy do? What would she say?'_ He was lost, but she was lost too, he knew it. He shoved his hands in his pockets, squeezing the talisman in one hand.

Metalicana saw the uncertainty in his son's eyes, annoyed that it was even taking him this much effort to get his own kin on his side. What more could he want? He grunted, pacing back and forth briefly. "Gajeel. I know the thing's been causin' ya problems. Why not jus' give it ta me n' ya won' have ta deal with 'em anymore?"

"Tch." The fists in his pockets tightened. How did he know it was a burdensome thing? What could he tell him about the talisman? Did he even still want to know? He only kept it because of his dad, now that they've been reunited, does he even still want it? Would it be best to just give it to him instead of having the Fallen after him for it? He began pulling it out of his pocket when a tug on his shirt stopped him.

He turned around; Levy's honey eyes brimmed with tears as their eyes met. Why did she stop him? Was this her trying to help? His 'tough guy' mask had already crumbled, so he was nothing more than raw and unguarded in front of her. It was torturous. It felt like their eyes had been locked for hours before she summoned the courage to do anything. She shook her head, the slightest motion enough for Gajeel to uncurl his hand from around the talisman in his pocket. Was that her advice? To not do it?

"Well, well," Metalicana put his hands behind his back in frustration. He just _knew_ this fucking bitch would be a thorn in his side. And it looked to him like his son was going to listen to anything she said. "It looks t'me like miss angel here has somethin' ta add."

Gajeel spun back around, not really liking the tone he took. Why was he being hostile toward Levy? Was it simply because she was an angel? "Dad, I—"

"Look," the man cut him off, putting his arm back around his son's shoulder. He didn't want him to answer just yet, because if he did, he'd flat out reject his proposal. _'It's all 'cuz of that damned angel!'_

"Jus' think on it," he said, walking Gajeel a few steps away from the blue-haired nuisance. He looked over his shoulder, giving her a glare before directing his attention back at the task at hand. "Take a day… then come back wit'cher answer."

Maybe that was a better idea. Gajeel didn't want to let his emotions influence his decision, especially when for whatever reason, this seemed like something super important. He glanced at Levy, who again, wouldn't even look at him. Then what the fuck was her reason for stopping him?

"Oh, and," Metalicana said, his voice hushed. "Make sure ya come back alone."

* * *

The walk through the tunnel and back above ground was a silent and nerve-wracking one. His head hurt. Why did his dad want him to come back alone? And why didn't he feel any better after meeting him? He couldn't ask Levy for support right now; he felt he was undeserving. Besides, he couldn't even imagine how she must have felt at that moment. How else would one feel when they found out the person they've been drawn to was responsible for their death?

He couldn't even turn around and look at her. She'd ignored him almost the whole time, except for when it came time to either keep or get rid of the talisman. Was that the only reason she stopped him? Now that she knew about it, was it something _she_ was going to be after, too?

As soon as they made it outside, he lit a cigarette, taking the longest drag he'd ever taken. _'Shit.'_ This wasn't enough. He understood why humans took to hard drugs. Anything that could make the pain go away would be perfect. Unfortunately, as a goblin, his tolerance was too high for most things to have an effect on him. _'So, what then? My only option is death?'_

Did he want to die? _'Die again? Pfft.'_ He took a pull from his cigarette. If Levy left him, _'which she most likely will,'_ he might as well. No, he couldn't think that way. Lily wouldn't appreciate that one bit. _'At least I still have Lily.'_ Maybe he could throw himself into work, finally. He'd only been roaming Earth to find the stupid thing. Now that he had it, he could finally focus on something else.

Levy was going through it. Her mind was in overdrive, and she couldn't focus on anything. Was this what it was like to lose then regain memories? Was it supposed to be this uncomfortable? She walked behind him in silence the whole time, not wanting to speak or him to worry about what she was going through.

Quiet tears continued falling from her eyes, she just wanted to disappear for the time being and get her head right. Where could she go? She had no one in the afterlife. No one she could vent to or ask for advice. What should she do? How did she even feel? Was she angry, or just hurt? Did she trust him, still? Was this why he kept making her promise not to leave him?

She'd made it back outdoors with him, the awkwardness officially settling in. It took everything in her to not vanish immediately and leave him hanging, especially when he just had a life-changing meeting. She stayed behind him as he stopped and dug around in his pocket for his cigarettes. She couldn't blame him. If she were a smoker, she'd be craving one, too.

He finally turned around, her beautiful, tear-stained face making his heart sting. He always managed to fuck things up, _always_. Whether it be his personality or his actions, he always seemed to drive those he cared about away from him. He saw the confusion, the skepticism in her eyes. She was probably wondering who he even was. He took a step forward, wanting to be as close to her as she allowed him to be. "…Lev…"

"I…" She took a step back, not wanting to be any more confused than she was. She knew that if she let him get close enough, he'd hold her tight… and she… just couldn't right now. She needed time. "I…"

"I'm… so sorry," he said, dropping his cigarette and taking another step toward her. She didn't seem like she was too upset to not be near him, but he still wanted to play it safe. He knew she wanted to run; it was written all over her face, but if he could get close enough to grab her and hug her close to him, he could explain himself properly and keep her from leaving like… everyone else.

"I… can't…" She looked away, not wanting to break like she knew she would if she kept looking at him. She held up her hand; she could hear his footsteps inching closer and closer to her. She was just barely able to stop him from getting any closer as his body ran into her fingertips. Why was he so intent on talking to her? Couldn't he see that she needed space right now?

"Please…" His voice was pleadingly quiet, his spirit crushed as he held out his hands in another attempt to get her to stay. "Talk ta me…"

With that, she left him in the cold with nothing but his sorrow. Why did he expect her to stay? Why did he think she was going to listen to whatever he had to say? What place did he have to assume that? She was well above him, in league and in spirit. Why would she waste her time with a lowlife like him? He expected this much, so why was he in this much pain?


End file.
